Feudal Fire
by PorporaVolpe
Summary: AU. After a brutal attack on his noble run kingdom, Naruto is found and taken in by the king and queen. After meeting the neighboring royalty an arrangement is made, certain ravens and a pinkette, will send Naruto's life into a roller-coaster of questions. A Sasuke x Naruto story set in medieval times with a side pairing of Sakura x Hinata. Rated M for gore/imagery and language! :)
1. Prolouge

**I ****do not**** own any character from Naruto! I ****do**** own this plot line though! **

Hey everyone! This is my first fanfiction and I am excited to share it with all of you :D It is going to be a Sasuke x Naruto story with a side of Sakura x Hinata, so if you don't like Boy x Boy or Girl x Girl you won't like this story! NO comments about how it is so"gay"... This story will be rated **M **for language and the chance of gore in a later chapter, no lemons or anything since it would probably stink.

Constructive comments are welcomed but I will not tolerate any hurtful/mean/inappropriate comments.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy c:

* * *

A slight glow broke through the dark tree line. Its amber color standing out against the bleak, dead pines. A cold gust gathered and scattered the newly fallen snowflakes. The glow, gathering space, refuses to be covered by the frozen substance. The once slightly existent light grew and grew until it became a prominent heat, releasing grey clouds into the night sky.

Connecting this heated spot to the rest of the world sat a dark, cold road. The sound of hooves erupts, awakening the quiet forest. A coach carriage rolls to a stop at the beginning of the road. Its silver embellishments glistening from the light of the growing warmth. "Dear!" A woman gasp, quickly grabbing the shoulder of the dreaming man next to her. "Wake up! There is a fire!"

This sentence awoke the man, jolting in his spot abruptly and causing him to hit his head on the roof of the coach. Clutching his head and resting his arms on his knees, he groans. Once realization reaches the man, a mixed look of surprise and fear approach his features. "Fire?! Where?" He exclaims, patting himself down to inspect his physical well-being.

"Beyond the trees" A slim finger directed towards the dancing flames.

"But that's…" His eyes widened as recognition hit him. "We must hurry, maybe they have escaped." The man swung open the carriage door, "We must make haste!" he yelled to the stoic coachman above.

"Yes, your majesty." Was the reply muttered from the stone-faced man. He then conducted them to do so. With sounds of recognition to their master's commands, the white stallions quickened their pace towards the destination.

* * *

As distance lessened, the once small glow grew into a kingdom from hell. Each building crumbling under the dead weight of its charred structure. The kingdom, amongst the crackling of the coals and embers, was quiet. No screams to be hear, no begging or pleading to a deity for deliverance from the pain and suffering. Snowflakes turned to nothing as they fell upon what used to be a fire. The coach rattled as it embarked through the once burning graveyard, its destination being the heart of the chaos.

The castle stood, someone erect, its stone turned black from the past flames. The tragic scene reflected off the forming tears in the woman's brown eyes. Her handing clutching her blue necklace in hope of gaining some strength. Eventually, the horses cried as they halted at the stoop of the castle. The carriage door swung open, nearly hitting the coachman's face. The frantic king dashed full speed towards the doors of the castle.

"Wait!" The woman howled, starting to run after her love. The coachman grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards the carriage.

"If you may pardon my abruptness, his highness would not want you to be injured." He bowed his head, his long, dark hair fluttered over his broad shoulders. The woman sobbed, feeling dread seed in her stomach.

* * *

With ripped pieces of his cloak tied to his hands, the king burst open the gigantic doors, eyes searching for his beloved friend. All around him tapestries were burning, wood charred, and bodies lying burned and boiled. On the king went, room to room while dealing with lingering smoke. Finally, orange painted doors revealed to the man what he searched for. "No…" he gasped out, a tiny whimper escaping his mouth.

A burned, but distinctive, female body lay on the bed. Her face buried under the fallen bed canopy. The body of a man sprawled on the floor, his arms outstretched towards a second door. "No!" The king screamed as he pulled and tugged at the canopy's fabric. Through the heat and burning of his hands, he ripped the fabric to reveal the face of the female noble, her skin reddened and peeling. At this sight, the king bounded toward the fallen male. The once extravagant clothing, now blackened and ripped, showed torn skin. The unknown man lay on his side, the half of his face that was revealed to the king was unrecognizable due to ripped skin and bursting blisters. His majesty hesitated, fearing what he would discover. After recovering his courage, he turned over the decayed noble.

Half of the man's face, previously hidden from the king's sight, was covered in soot and red patches. His majesty brushed the blackened dust off his comrade's face, a tear fell which led to an uncontrollable sob. The teardrops pooled near the noble's stretched arm. Noticing this strange position, the king followed its direction to the second door.

Above the frame sat a charred tapestry, indicating the door was not meant to be found by just anyone. Standing once more, the king somberly walked to the door and kicked it down. A flight of spiraling stairs shone in the limited moonlight peeking through the stone. It beckoned him, so he ascended seemingly lead by a strange force.

Snow accumulating constantly as his highness climbed the stairwell. Flakes glazed and danced on the king's face as happened on an open trapdoor. Cautiously the king peeked his head through the opening. A small child lay in the fetal position in the corner of the tower's room. The room's windows were shattered and torn open, allowing the swirling snow to enter and rest upon the floor. Even with his skin paling due to the cold, the young boy's cheeks were a lively pink. Shock and relief wash over the king's face, a small breathy laugh broke the silence of the small room. "So they had a child…"

* * *

A figure emerged from the castle which caused the queen rise from her spot on the stoop of the carriage doorway. Her cheeks moistened once again as she called for her love. "Jiraiya?" It was then that she noted the small body huddled in his highness' arms. The blonde queen hurried up to the duo asking while out of breath, "Did they…-?"

The king downcast his gaze away from his wife, silently answering her question. The queen gazed at the young child wrapped in her love's arms. Gently she took the young boy into her grasp, noting the child to be no older than three or four, this caused the boy to stir. Burying himself into the chest of the queen, craving the warmth and shaking madly while doing so. The royal lady removed her cloak and bundled the fragile figure in the thick fabric. Silence fell upon the small group as they re-entered the carriage, the stoic coachman returning to his post above the carriage.

As the child fell asleep once more, now in the warmth and comforting arms of her highness, she re-adjusted the wrappings. The queen noted a roll of parchment stuffed into the waistline of the child. Motioning to her husband, the king softly maneuvered the roll loose. The king gripped the parchment tight as he came upon the rushed lines.

"Jiraiya, my dear friend."

"I am rushed in writing this, there have been attacks upon my domain. I regret we will not have the feast and merriment I had promised you. I will not likely make it and if I may pass I want you to take in my beloved son, Naruto. He practices rebellious behavior, but we trust you will raise him well."

"Forever Grateful,"

"Minato (and Kushina)"

After a meager silence, her highness caressed the newly scarred cheeks of the blond boy. Brushing out the soot and melting snow that were diluting the boy's hair, she whispered "Naruto… Welcome to the family." A slight feeling of hope pushed forward through the tragedy.

* * *

That is the prologue! :3

I think this is a good starting point for the upcoming adventure :)

See you in chapter 1!


	2. Chapter 1 - The Arrangement

**The Arrangement**

Disclaimer: I don't, sadly nor will I ever, own the Naruto characters…

In this chapter: Naruto and Sakura are 7 years old and Sasuke is 8. Forewarning: I will be using masculine and feminine terms to reference people (these include: blond (M)/blonde (F), pinket (M)/Pinkette (F), etc.)

* * *

Blonde hair bobbed as little hands played with the loose white threading on his outfit. A nervous aura could be felt miles from the castle's stoop.

"Naruto" A commanding queen called.

Said boy froze, at mid pull, at his name. Letting go of his newly tailored vest, Naruto glanced at his royal parents. The king, Jiraiya, wore a long robe bathed in red, which matched the ceremonial marks upon his face, and decorated with gold embellishments. His mother, Tsunade, wore a similar colored gown with a large silver ringed belt hanging loosely from her hips. A blue crystal pendant sat on her collarbone, above her large chest. Long blonde hair was tied into a large braid, crimson and white ribbons were woven into the hairstyle.

"So, are you excited Naruto?" His royal highness asked, slightly ruffling his son's spikey hair.

"Yeah, I'm tired of playing with Neji. All he ever does is talk about horses or the latest carriage model…" He pouted at the idea of being with the coachman's son. "These guys better be fun or else I'm running away!" Both parents rolled their eyes at their son's common threat.

A hazelnut carriage approached the castle's gates, its decorative jewels glistened in the afternoon sun. A brunet coachman brought the white horses to a halt before jumping down to hold the door open for his employers. Two adults emerged, both sporting extravagant yellow outfits with green embroidery. The madam strode out, a serious look on her face. Her blonde hair was pulled back tightly into a bun, except for a tuff of bangs which hung between her eyes. Her husband followed close behind, a smile forming at the sight of his hosts. His spiked pink hair faintly swayed like a flower touched by a breeze.

Following, a young girl stepped out flaunting her new green dress with yellow flower petals embroidered on the breast.

"Friends! Welcome!" Jiraiya bellowed with extended arms, a toothy grin stretched from ear to ear. Tsunade smiled politely while slightly elbowing her speechless heir.

"A-ah… Hi!" The blond child exclaimed, his cheeks warming at the sight of his new playmate.

A gust of wind caused her medium length hair to brush her collarbone, much like her father, the pink color radiated in the sun's rays. She started to stride towards the other child with a polite smile. "Hi, I'm Sakura." A mixture of confidence and curiosity shone in the youth's emerald eyes.

Mimicking this mixture, the little prince marched up to the pinkette with his chin held high and blurted "YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY ME!"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, caught off guard by the sudden exclamation. All four adults stood aghast and astonished in mid-greeting. Jiraiya smacked his forehead and sighed with exasperation. "Smooth…" he muttered to no one in particular. His wife smirked and cast a cocky glance at Kizashi and Mebuki, the young princess' parents.

"I WOULDN'T MARRY A MORON LIKE YOU IN A MILLION YEARS!" She replied through gritted teeth.

While the two started making faces at each other, a black carriage passed through the main gate. Small clinking could slightly be heard from the dangling gold trim. A slender man in a formal suit hopped from the driver's seat to open the coach door. A man and woman of pale complexion stepped out from the shadows inside the carriage, both sporting navy blue apparel. The raven woman appeared with her hair loose but a decorative headband held control of her bangs, giving way to a kind face. However; her husband held his medium length hair back in a simple, loose, ponytail. Following suit, a young raven-haired boy came into view who was also wearing a navy ensemble. All three wore a gold fan accessory, both males had embroidery done upon their collars and the wife displayed a broach on her chest.

"Fugaku! Mikoto! Welcome!" The host king greeted them, extending his hand to his stern guests.

"Hi! I'm Naru-." Naruto started towards his other new guest, following Jiraiya's example he extended a hand and a smile. Only to be interrupted when Sakura pushed him aside and scurried to the boy in blue.

"I-I'm Sakura, w-what's your name?" She stuttered making her cheeks turn a color similar to her vibrant hair.

"Sasuke" The small raven deadpanned, sparing a glance at the blond. Said blond was glaring sharp, sharp, sharp daggers at the boy who captured the heart of his crush. Sasuke looked at the fawning pinkette, then back at the riled Naruto. An arrogant smirk grew on his face which sent the other boy into a rage.

"Why are you smirking?" Naruto yelled, stomping towards his target.

"Idiot."

"GAAAAAHHH! I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!" The blond lunged for the raven, who stepped aside in time. Sasuke dashed into the castle with Naruto hot on his trail, Sakura closely followed behind with hearts in her eyes.

* * *

A slight chuckle came from Mikoto at the sight of the boys' confrontation.

"Jiraiya, Tsunade, thank you for the welcoming." Mebuki started, "While the children are busy let us get started."

The three couples headed into the grand building, stopping in a small room which overlooked the gardens. Through the windows the three children could be seen conversing. Naruto taking pride in his humble abode while Sasuke looked unimpressed and constantly pushing the blond's buttons. Sakura sat near them admiring the flowers and picking out which one would impress the raven more, never receiving the reaction for which she longed.

"So where is your elder son Fugaku?" Tsunade asked seating herself next to her husband.

"He is off being educated by the best tutor in the next kingdom over." He stated while his wife smiled proudly.

"He should accompany us next time, we would love to see him once again!" Jiraiya suggested, fixing his white mane into a loose ponytail before calling over a servant and ordering drinks for his guests.

The group made small talk as they awaited their refreshments, the wives glancing towards their children once in a while. Eventually kitchen workers came into the room, bringing bread and alcohol. After eating and joyously drinking, Jiraiya spoke up about the meaning to the gathering.

"As you know, our kingdom would like to ally ourselves with your kingdom Kizashi. We understand that Fugaku desires this as well." The host king announced, watching the reactions of the others. "So, I would like to offer my son in a marriage with your daughter, Sakura."

"My son Itachi would be a better fit and honorable son-in-law." The elder raven piped up, agitated at the suggestion.

"Or Sasuke!" Mikoto added calmly.

"I refuse to give my daughter away at such a blossoming age. But if this is your suggestion, then we can work something out. Since either of you would make loyal and dependable allies, I will give this chance to the both of you." Kizashi decided, fiddling with his moustache. A feeling of relief was shared between Fugaku and Jiraiya.

"Since your sons will be future leaders I will have my Sakura pick whom I ally with, I trust her judgment. You both have until she turns the age of 18, which is when I will ask of her this question. Now let us be merry while our children bond!" He finished.

* * *

Once the sun had set some days later, the guests left to carry on their royal duties. After seeing them off, Naruto came to his working father with a worrisome look.

"Will I ever get to see Sakura again?" The youth asked looking at his father with big blue eyes.

"Of course! You guys are going to become the best of friends." The king happily said, smiling big for his son and ruffling his hair. The blond boy smiled back under messed up spikes.

"I hope I see Sasuke too! I want him to see with his own eyes how skilled I am by winning back Sakura!" He clenched his hands near his face and smirked at the imagined reaction of the young raven, his blue eyes hardened with determination.

"Ha ha ha ha, I will see what I can do Naruto. Now go find your mother and get to bed." He directed, pointing towards another room.

"Ok! Goodnight papa!" The blond boy yelled while running happily into the next room.

A feeling of sorrow clutched Jiraiya's heart, anguishing guilt and sadness dripped from that fatherly term. Morosely he stood from his table, gathered his parchments and left to prepare himself for slumber.

* * *

Now we are getting to the real story! :D I am going to be pretty swamped with my classes this week, but I will work on chapter two whenever I have time! See you then and I hope you enjoyed! :)


	3. Chapter 2 - A Bittersweet Reunion

**A Bittersweet Reunion **

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, not at all

Hey guys, Happy Valentine's Day (to those that celebrate it)! Sorry it took a while, I've been feeling sick and out of it. So, I made this chapter a tad bit longer.

Tomorrow (or today, it is currently 2:00 am soo…), I am going to be posting chapter of a new story: Falling through Memory Lane. It is also a SasuNaru story but with a fantasy twist (elves, dwarfs, and whatnot). Come and check it out if it is you kind of thing. :)

Thank you **Moonlit Queen** and **KH Freak 813** for reviewing! :D

* * *

One of the used guest rooms in the castle echoed with chatter. Inside a petite Sakura sat in a large wooden chair in between a circular mirror and a bright window. She wore a yellow gown with a short fur cape to keep her warm, her pink hair flowed past her shoulders and down the middle of her back. Close behind the backing of her chair stood Naruto. His blond hair had grown and hung close to the bottom of his ears, his red tunic wrinkled as he lifted his arm to scratch his tilted head. His tan face dawned a bewildered look as he starred at the mass of pink strands in front of him. Grabbing a fistful and lifting it above the girl's head, then he gathered another in his other hand and twisted it. A growl like screech blurted from the girl's mouth as she yanked back her hair. An abrupt turn of her head revealed an angry scowl. "Naruto!" she yelled.

"What?!" He lifted his arms up defensively, "You know me! I have no knowledge what so ever about hair!"

"Well I'm older, I'm sixteen and you are a little fifteen year old." She huffed with an arrogant manner, "Therefore, I am in charge and you have to do what I say."

"By three months!" Naruto yelled while holding three long fingers up to her face.

"That's three months more of life experience than you." She replied with crossed arms and squinted eyes.

"We'll be the same age tomorrow!"

"Well today is not tomorrow, back to work." She beckoned.

With an exasperated groan, Naruto picked back up her hair to twist and loop in a ridiculous style. A tiny creak could be heard from the bedroom's main door as a small face peeked in. "A-ah, i-is this a b-bad time?" A mousy voice asked.

"No, you may enter, Hinata." Naruto calmly said with his azure eyes focused on his forcibly given task. He stood, studying the strange hairstyle he created. Sakura's hair was parted in fourths, the two on the side of her face were tied together above her head and the other two were in the clutches of the blonde.

The maid entered with a tray filled with bread and cheese, two small glasses of water sat on opposite corners of the platter. White sleeves from an underdress could be seen under a black sleeveless kirtle. Her long black hair swept over her shoulders and fluttered as she set the silver tray on the nearest flat surface. Pale eyes under dark eyelashes glanced at the other two teenagers, captivated by the beautiful royalty. Feeling the stare, both Naruto and Sakura turned their heads to the servant. The sudden attention surprised the raven causing a heated pink to erupt on her cheeks.

"W-what are you doing?" She sheepishly inquired.

"Naruto is supposed to be doing my hair for Sasuke's arrival…" Sakura verbally attacked her host's son. Her green eyes widened as an idea popped into her pink head. "Oh! Oh!" A smile stretched on her face as she examined the maid, "Why don't you replace this dimwit?" she stood from her seat and walked over to Hinata. She clasped the maid's hands and led her over to the chair, kicking the blond out of the way. She seated herself once more and turned her head away from Hinata, "Make me beautiful!" she gleefully stated.

"Y-yes mam…" The raven stuttered, gently she picked up a brush from the table where the tray sat. "So you are doing this for Prince Sasuke?" She asked softly, not wanting to get scolded for delving into matters that weren't hers.

"Well of course!" Sakura exclaimed as if she were surprised the question needed to be asked. "I must look as gorgeous as him! He has such dark hair, he is quiet which means he is too shy to talk to me." She gushed.

Naruto rolled his eyes, pondering how in the world the arrogant bastard is so popular. _"I am so much better than that jerk…"_ He thought to himself as he grabbed some cheese from the platter. "How long has it been since you last saw that bastar-ah-Sasuke?" He questioned with a cheese filled mouth. He leapt onto the bed, landing on his back and stared at the green canopy over the bed.

"I have seen him every year, his family comes to our kingdom around spring time. Why?" She replied while observing a blushing Hinata braid her hair.

"WHAT? I haven't seen that jerk in FIVE years!" He sprung up, cheese crumbs flying onto the floor and rug. "Why did he visit you so much? You both used to come and hang out here every summer, why didn't he just come with you to visit me?" _"That asshole is really stooping low to get Sakura's heart, stepping behind my back to spend time with her… Gaah."_ He fumed in his thoughts.

A high pitched bell echoed through the halls, the servants were being called to the great hall. Hinata looked up, having completed a bun made of braids, at the sound and gasped. "I must leave immediately! All the servants are being called for greetings…" She grabbed the nearly empty platter of snacks and dashed for the door. Suddenly, she turned around and bowed her head. "May I leave mam, sir?" She asked under hanging hair.

"Yes, you may." Sakura replied, analyzing the maid's movements. Once she had left, the pinkette turned to Naruto with wide eyes, "That must be Sasuke!" she squealed. After she jumped up from her seat, she pushed Naruto out of her chambers. "I have to change dresses! Out, scoot!"

The blond sighed and turned to go down the hall. Stopping at a large window overlooking the front yards. The same black carriage Naruto saw nine years ago, rode through the gates. He had never noticed the blue coloring to the coach's roof, the glossy-like coat shimmered in the sunlight. With another sigh and a shrug, he headed for the stairwell dreading the upcoming events.

* * *

The great hall was already decorated with brightly colored tapestries for the arrival of Sakura's family. Grand fabric cushions were draped on the chairs for the guest's comfort, most of the colors being red and orange. Tsunade stood in the middle of the hall, overlooking the tidying made by the servants. Her long blonde hair was tied into loose twin ponytails, which hung down her back. Over her dress she sported a long black cloak with fur laced on the inside, the dark color bringing out the green tunic she wore underneath. She turned her head to the sound of close footsteps, a strange looks twisted in her eyes. A slim finger pointed at her heir as she stormed up to him. "What do you think you are doing?!"

"W-what? I'm coming to help greet the guests." Naruto replied with a surprised tone.

"You are in such unacceptable clothes! Go and change into the new clothes we just got tailored for you." She forcibly turned the teen around and gently pushed him back towards the hallway, "Go on, shoo!"

"Whatever, grandma." He twisted his head and stuck his tongue out to the queen. Naruto staggered back when Tsunade threatened him with her fists. The blond teen rushed back to his room while the queen bore daggers into the back of his head.

He walked down the hall towards his chambers, his face lighting up and darkening as he walked in and out of window lights. Naruto thought about his new guest, what was he like? Is he still as much of a jerk as when the blond last saw him? It had been five years since Sasuke's family stopped coming to their kingdom. Previously, the Uchiha family had been coming with the Haruno family every summer or spring time. Then one year they informed Jiraiya that royal matters prevented them from visiting for a while, never came back until now.

Tan hands pushed open the large wooden doors, revealing an embellished chamber. The canopy bed and curtains were decorated with orange silk with a white trimming. A red outfit lay on his bed, an orange pattern sewn into the sleeves. He walked over to it and started to get changed, afterwards he fixed up his mass of spikes in the mirror nearby. Once deciding that he looked handsome enough to surprise Sakura, he started back to the great hall.

The four new guests stood in the entrance of the great hall, still greeting each other. Sakura tried scooting close to the newly arrived guests but was drawn back by her mother. The pinkette's father stood tall and extended a hand to the Uchiha king, a welcoming smile appeared. Jiraiya and Fugaku both crossed their arms and had reluctant auras toward each other. Both wore their hair in ponytails, Jiraiya's bright white color completely contrasted with Fugaku's black hair. Mikoto and Tsunade were beside one another sharing stories as they walked over to Mebuki. Kizashi stayed back, observing the humorous situation in front of him. A tall young man held a stance behind Fugaku, his long black hair was tied into a ponytail, small lines accentuated his dark eyes. He glanced at Naruto seemingly analyzing his appearance. "Itachi!" Jiraiya bellowed happily, welcoming the Uchiha son he hadn't seen in years.

A younger male stood next to Itachi, his hair was much shorter than his brother's and was spiked in the back. Naruto studied his features; high cheekbones, sharp eyes, his skin was pale in comparison with Naruto's tan skin. The blond sighed inwardly at the fact that the raven was taller than him, great… His dark eyes turned to the blond, and familiar smirk found its way on the pale face. Much like their first meeting nine years ago, Naruto walked towards his guest and happily said, "Sasuke, it has been a while!" he shined a bright grin.

The smirk on Sasuke grew and he stated, "Hi, idiot."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched and his smile faded fast. "Who are you calling an idiot, duck butt?" He yelled while shaking his fist.

"Now, now you two. There will be no fighting, only merriment." Tsunade exclaimed as she dragged her glaring son away.

The group transitioned into the large dining hall, the long table was decorated with exotic fabric. Shiny silver dishware and pitchers lined the top of the table. The host family sat at the corner of the table, Naruto sat next to his mother. The Haruno family was seated next to Naruto and the Uchihas were placed across from their hosts. The blond boy's face screamed _"God damnit"_ as he scowled at the young raven seated across from him. Sasuke sat back in his seat and let his smirk grow.

After the cooks brought out the meals, mainly consisting of large meats, the three families started to chat. "So trades are down with the kingdom to the far west, their textiles are priced much higher than the last season." Fugaku started discussing. Kizashi nodded in agreement, adding in the information that he has gathered on the subject. The economic and political discussion continued among the adults and Itachi. Naruto drowned them out with his thoughts and glanced upwards from his dinner. Looking over the raven in front of him, a strange feeling burned inside his chest. A fluttering sensation warmed the blond as he further analyzed his guest, he silently admitted how handsome the raven was (though he would never actually admit it). Dark eyes noticed the ocean blue staring at him, the side smile returned to Sasuke's face. Naruto turned his head away to try and hide the slight pink tint appearing on his tan skin.

"So, are you excited Naruto?" Mebuki asked, bringing the blond out of his strange state.

"H-huh?"

"Tomorrow, your sixteenth birthday celebration!" She reminded him.

Naruto smiled brightly as he remembered the plans for tomorrow, the arrival of the Uchihas pushed the thought right out of his mind. Tomorrow was the day of his small celebration and he brimmed with anticipation. Mikoto giggled at the sight of the child-like giddiness, Sasuke stared at him as well. The young Uchiha felt something stir inside his chest whenever the idiotic blond smiled so brightly. This feeling was foreign, making the raven worried and confused.

They excused themselves after the sun had long set, leaving to prepare for the night. Naruto walked back to his chambers while stretching, a large yawn morphed his face. Opening his door halfway, he stopped to look out the window opposite of his doorway. The full moon shined with brilliance and elegance, small cloud cover could not mask its light. The blond moved to the window frame and observed the sky and its many inhabitants. His tan hands rose to gently feel the scars on his cheeks. From the end of the hall, a tall figure surveyed the scene. The shadows of the corridor hid the identity and existence of the person from the teen.

Shaking himself from the trance, Naruto turned and entered his bedchamber. Another strange feeling twisted inside him, though this one was less gentle. The mixture of fear and sadness churned from his head to his stomach. Tonight was filled with laughter and new, strange sensations. He pushed the thoughts out of his head and readied himself, plans of celebration took place within his mind.

* * *

Oooooo! :O

I will type up and upload chapter 3 no later than Tuesday, I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday :D

Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 3 - Celebrate Good Times

**Celebrate Good Times, Come On!**

**A/N: **Argh… Great, now I have the song stuck in my head!

Well… My classes for tomorrow morning have been cancelled because of snow… So that means more time to work on stories! :)

I want to thank everyone who have favorite and followed this story so far, I really appreciate it! :D

Thank you: **KH freak 813**, **Lunarella01827**, **Dragonfire04**, and **SugarISmyLIFE** for the favorite!

Thank you: **Blarh, KH freak 813**, **Lunarella01827**, **Moonlit Queen**, **Nell1994**, **Dieanneace**, **Dragonfire04**, and **SugarISmyLIFE **for following!

**Disclaimer: Nope, nada, don't 'em.**

* * *

Bright light filtered in through a crack in the curtains and settled on the face of a sleeping Sasuke. He tried to turn on his side but couldn't escape the pestering sun. Finally giving up, he cracked open his dark eyes and foggily sat up. The deep purple covers slid down onto his lap and revealed the long black tunic the teen was wearing. His dark hair was disheveled, the usual rear spikes were pointing in different directions. He rose from the large bed and walked to the leaking sunshine, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up faster. Sasuke pulled back the curtain and hissed at the sudden brightness. The window faced the back gardens and a group of servants who rushed around with decorations. The gardens were being prepped for the royal celebration in honor of Naruto's birthday and the blond was in view as well. He followed some of the servants towards a section of the yard and helped set up seating, a wide smile permanently placed on his tan face. The momentary thought about caressing the scarred cheeks and seeing that smile pointed towards him made the raven sigh.

Sasuke turned away from the window due to the strange thought. There was something wrong and embarrassing about watching Naruto and thinking that way. He rushed to the mirror opposite from his bed to examine himself, a slight pink tint colored his cheeks. "_Uchihas don't show weakness, I-I must calm myself…_" He thought to himself as he fixed his appearance. Sasuke patted down his hair and changed into the appropriate attire, avoiding the window the entire time. Opening his door, the raven turned his attention to the window for a brief moment. The small ray of light between the curtains reminded Sasuke of the shinning blond hair.

* * *

A blond mass of hair bobbed in the crowd of servants and decorations. Jiraiya emerged from the castle and squinted in the sunlight. The king called out, "Birthday boy!" ultimately catching the attention of the entire crowd.

The teen turned around and came to his father, "Yeah?" he asked slightly out of breath. Naruto scrunched his eyes as the sun's rays made the king's white hair unbearably white. Jiraiya analyzed the outfit Naruto wore, a much simpler ensemble than what Tsunade made him wear the night before.

"I'm surprised you are not sporting your usual orange. It is your birthday after all…" The white haired man said while gesturing to the blond's shirt. Naruto wore nice black pants with a simple white, cotton, shirt loosely tucked in. The sleeves were loose as well, revealing his toned forearms. "Whoa! What have you been doing to get a man's body?" The king teased, poking his son's arms.

"Shut up" He stuck his tongue out, "I've been going riding everyday…" He replied with a lack of confidence.

"Uh huuuh" A white eyebrow raised at the response.

Naruto huffed and started to stomp off, but the collar of his shirt was grabbed by a certain queen. Her eyes screamed frustration as she looked over her son's extremely casual outfit. She groaned, "You are so lucky it's your birthday!" She thrust a finger in his face, squishing his nose slightly. "Now go to the great hall and seat yourself." Tsunade released him and marginally pushed him back into the castle.

Naruto wondered down the corridors with his head in the clouds. Out from behind a pillar jumped the pinkette and the raven haired maid. "Naaaaarrruuuuuttoooo!" The blond gasped as all three fell to the ground in a pile. Giggles passing between the two girls while they lay on top of the birthday boy. "How has your day been sir? Hinata meekly looked up into his blue eyes.

"It's goin' good! I got ramen served for breakfast." He beamed.

"Ramen?" Sakura asked as she tilted her head to the side. Her loose pink hair flowed over her shoulders and onto Hinata's hip.

"It is a noodle dish, with a season based broth." Hinata answered, standing herself up and brushing off her black dress. She helped the pink princess get on her feet and helped fix the gushing pink strands.

"It is heaven in a bowl!" Naruto added as he bounced up and patted his shirt and pants.

The three figures followed down the hallway chatting about culinary differences between their kingdoms. Hinata rushed ahead to open the grand doors for the prince and princess, revealing a lavish hall. The usual great hall was draped in brighter colors and full of laughter. Noble guests were arriving and entering through the opened doors, smiles and greetings were being passed around graciously. When the honored teen entered the room, the guests crowded around to fawn over the boy.

Naruto hurried to his designated seat to avoid the overwhelming adoration. He knew some of them just wanted to kiss up and get on the good side of the king and queen. The blond sighed roughly out of boredom and impatience, he scanned the crowd only to notice a certain Uchiha walking into the large hall. Dark eyes landed on him, Sasuke walked straight to him and never broke eye contact. Naruto kept contact out of spite, he didn't know what the raven wanted or if he was going to mess with him. Though he would never admit it, the blond secretly kept watching Sasuke because the sharp eyes captivated him. Sasuke stopped in front of the birthday boy's chair and smirked down at him, "So, why are you sitting here and not doing something stupid outside idiot?"

Naruto held in his rage, "Well, duck bastard, they are setting up the festivities in the gardens." Sasuke still held a smirk, it even seemed to grow at the response the blond gave him. Naruto gave up, settling his chin on his palm, "Plus, my mom and dad would kill me if I didn't 'socialize' with the nobles of our kingdom."

"Isn't that good? You're going to be ruling them one day, better to get to know them now." Sasuke deadpanned, his logical and rational thought bothered the blond.

"They are faking. Not all of them actually care that it's my birthday… They just put on their masks to suck up to my family in hopes of fortune or more land." Naruto blandly stated while watching the crowd, silently picking out the ones who held their masks high.

"How can you tell?" The raven pondered as he looked over the guests as well.

"They don't really look at me, they mainly talk to my parents or ask me about them." He pointed to the small group of individuals who rushed to Jiraiya and Tsunade as they entered the room. "Plus, they nev—" He cut short at the sight of a familiar face and started to run off, "I- uh- have to go to the washroom."

Sasuke watched Naruto's back as he partially ran off towards the front entrance of the castle, bewildered. He silently followed the teen through the yard and towards a small, but long, wooden building. Another raven could be seen walking in front of the blond, his long black hair fell farther than Itachi's. His face turned to reveal pale eyes which Sasuke instantly associated with the shy maid. He wore a dirtied white shirt with a leather vest over it, a pair of brown pants rested above his dark brown leather shoes. Once the unknown raven noticed their follower, he grabbed the blond and pulled him into the nearest opening to the wooden structure. "Wait!" Sasuke called out as he sped up to the building.

"Sasuke?" Naruto popped his head out, a look of confusion twisted his face. "What are you doing here? We thought you were someone else…"

"You rushed out, I was curious, I apologize." The Uchiha responded.

"Oh! Uh, this is Neji." Naruto tugged the other boy out into view. He bowed to the foreign prince while muttering a greeting. "He is our coachman, a total nut when it comes to coaches and horses!" He lifted his head and met his hard, pale, eyes to Sasuke's sharp ones. "We were just, uh, leaving." Naruto grinned.

"Where to?" Sasuke pried. The blond glanced at Neji and they shared a strange glance, he turned back and sighed as if giving up valuable information.

"We are going into town, I have a meeting set with some friends." He rubbed the back of his head, "I don't want to but since you've caught us, wanna come along?"

* * *

Neji stopped the horses in front of a small house on the skirts of the town. Naruto slammed open the door since he was too impatient to wait for the coachman. A small wind rustled his blond hair and Sasuke's bangs as he emerged from the carriage. The house sat lonely, silent, on a small hill which overlooked farming and plantation properties. Naruto quickly ran up to the structure with the largest smile ever known to man plastered on his face. Neji closed the door behind the Uchiha and they walked together toward the lone house, light gusts caressed their faces and made the grass dance.

"So… Are you and that maid related, Hinata was it?" Sasuke started to chat.

"She is my cousin, my uncle took her in with us at the castle after her parents and sister left the kingdom." Neji replied with a lack of expression. The rest of the walk towards the house was silent due to both ravens not knowing what to talk about.

"Hellooooo?" Naruto called with a palm cupped around his mouth.

"Naru!" Several voices responded, a stampede like sound reverberated among the walls. A group of children jumped on the blond and sent him falling into the grass. A hearty laugh escaped the blond's lips and surprised the short haired raven. "Happy birfday Naru!" a small girl happily told the prince.

"Who are all of these children?" Sasuke asked aloud, but somewhat quietly.

"We are one of the few orphanages in Konoha kingdom." A slender woman with wild black curls reaching her shoulders answered, "I am the guardian or caretaker of these children and property." Her red eyes looked over the quiet pair.

"Kurenai!" Naruto adjusted the children to stick his hand out to her, she smiled and took hold of his hand to pull. Naruto stumbled a bit with the weight of the small children hanging from his neck. He shuffled over to give her a slight hug then started the task of prying the kids off.

"Does Naruto come here often?" Sasuke asked the woman, sparing a glance to the exhausted blond.

"Yes, tough it is not quite often. He comes here to play with the children and sometimes helps around the property. We owe so much to the young man." She chuckled softly. "Where are my manners? Please come in!"

"You guys go in without me, I think I'm going to be busy…" The blond prince jokingly called out as the group of children dragged him towards an area around the side of the house.

Both of them followed Kurenai into the small building for some refreshments and idle chat. Though Sasuke turned back in the doorway to head toward the screams and laughter. Around the house, Naruto playfully chased the group while making odd growling sounds. The young girl from earlier was caught in his grasp and was met with tickles. "Nooooo, no tickle spidwers!" She yelled between fits of giggles. Sasuke leaned on the house and watched for a while, finding strange entertainment in watching Naruto's child-like antics. The blond eventually decided to take a break and walked over to the raven, breathing hard with large amounts of sweat dampening his forehead. It was now understandable why the blond chose to wear the loose white shirt. Naruto plopped himself on the ground next to the Uchiha and rested the back of his head on the outside of the structure.

"Do you come here every year?" Sasuke hesitantly sat on the ground, next to the blond.

"Yeah, I sneak away from the festivities and come here. Those parties seem like shams to me, it's just a meeting for nobles to brag. It relaxes me to come here and play earnestly, I can get my energy out without having to watch my behavior or who I am with." Azure eyes shone with excitement.

"Why do you care so much about these kids?" This question caught the tired prince by surprise, he had never really thought about it before.

"I guess…" He combed a tan hand through his damp bangs, "I guess I feel responsible for them, I mean they are citizens in my kingdom." The response seemed too practiced to the Uchiha.

"Is that really it?"

"Well… I feel like I can understand them." He looked over to the playing children, "I don't know why though, but I understand the loneliness and emptiness some of them have experienced." Naruto placed two fingers on his scars and slightly caressed them, a lost look formed on his face. Sasuke observed the strange gesture and was about to comment on it when the coachman came from the house.

"Naruto, time to leave." He calmly announced.

* * *

The three guests said their goodbyes and Naruto promised the children another visit while wiping away their small tears. Kurenai and the small youths could be seen waving as the carriage rode off back to the castle. After a few minutes, the blond fell fast asleep from exhaustion. Sasuke sat across from him, watching the other teen's small twitches while he dreamed. Silently, the raven stood from his seat and leaned over the snoozing blond. A pale hand gently touched the lines etched on the prince's cheeks, his thumb brushed the small dips in his skin. The prince stirred but did not wake, this action surprised Sasuke and brought him back to his senses. Seating himself again, the Uchiha battled with his emotions once more. The rest of the ride was uneventful and they soon returned to the castle. Tsunade furiously interrogated her heir on his whereabouts while Jiraiya sat back with a knowing smirk on his face. Sakura felt betrayed by Naruto for taking her prince away, but she thought to herself about the celebratory festivities she did with Hinata that late afternoon. The rest of the night went on as usual and the inhabitants of the castle peacefully slept, tired from the various activities experienced that day.


	5. Chapter 4 - Pondering Part 1

**Pondering… Part 1**

**A/N: **I wanted to mention that I put up a posting schedule on my profile! Hope you enjoy! :D

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own anything but the story you see before you. **

Thank you **Amy-sama90 **for the follow :)

* * *

The blond prince stomped into his bed chambers, throwing his long cloak onto the room's single chair. His once yellow tunic was covered in grass stains and splotches of dirt. Naruto approached the large window and pulled back the silk curtains. The sun had set long before so the only sources of light in the yards were the small torches carried by the servants walking to their separate quarters. Strong hands opened the window partially to allow in a slight breeze, a sigh escaped his lips as he turned from the glass. After kicking off his muddied boots and changing into a long white night shirt, the blond leapt onto the queen sized canopy bed. The wood frame creaked and the satin sheets flew upwards due to the sudden impact. He landed on his side with the rest of the room in his view, though the curtain flowing from the wind obscure a corner of the chamber. He flipped onto his back and slipped clothed arms under his head. The royal guests had left earlier in the evening, though he didn't bother to see them off. The blond had snuck off, hiding in the stables until he was found by a worried Hinata.

The events of the day rushed into his mind and caused a bright pink color rise in his cheeks. "Fucking hell…" Naruto muttered while he covered his heated scars.

"Stupid… Asshole… Duckbutt Sasuke!" Naruto sat up and ruffled his blond spikes out of frustration. "What a sneaky bastard…" he growled and threw his pillow at the wall. The prince rested his elbows on his knee and stared at the flooring, remembering what happened earlier in the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Going back to the beginning of the day~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days had come and gone since Naruto's birthday celebration, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred during those few days. The three teens spent time around the kingdom, Sasuke wasn't seen much outside his chambers and when he was, he would be around Sakura with his usual 'for fucks sake' look plastered on his face. The blond spent his time as he would any other day, helping around the yards or with Neji. Sakura liked to walk about the gardens in the mornings and would spend time with the conversing queens.

The hosting prince sat in his room while watching people in the yards go about their day. A knock at the door brought the prince out of his thoughts, "Sir?" A meek voice called.

"You may enter." He sighed from boredom.

The raven haired maid pushed the door and scurried to where Naruto sat, "What are you doing sir?" The reply she received was a shrug and a sigh from the blond. "Well…Her highness has asked for you." Hinata bowed slightly.

"On my way." Naruto muttered as he stood from his seat, "Oh, and Hinata you don't have to call me sir. We've known each other since forever, call me Naruto." He sported a bright smile for the maid.

"Umm, okay Naruto-sir." A slight blush tinted her cheeks.

The prince chuckled and followed the maid out of the room and into the hallway. "Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her since dinner last night." He asked the maid while they sauntered through the corridor.

"She is entertaining the other royal ladies." Hinata smiled as she turned to look at the prince. A sudden impact made the maid squeal as she stumbled backwards. Itachi stood tall and stoic in front of the pair, his long raven hair was thrown over one of his shoulders. "I-I a-apologize sir, I wasn't watching where I was going!" Hinata lowered her head to the foreign prince.

"No need to apologize young lady." He smoothly said, "It was I who was not paying attention. Excuse me while I continue to the study, my father is waiting for me." He kept direct eye contact with Naruto while he bowed his head slightly. He stepped around the two teens and continued down the corridor, not looking back once. The prince and the maid resumed their voyage to find the queen and her guests.

* * *

Tsunade sat in the center of the garden with the other two queens, all three were enjoying some alcoholic beverages in large silver cups. They were seated at a decorative table, the wood was engraved and painted with rich colors. The women were dressed much more casually than before, their dresses were less decorative and complex. The fabrics were mainly just solid colors with a neutral colored belt hanging loosely to the side of their hips. Mikoto giggled at something Mebuki told Tsunade, the three all turned when they heard approaching footsteps. Hinata curtseyed to her queen and announced "Prince Naruto has arrived."

"Thank you Hinata, you may go now." Tsunade smiled gently at the maid.

"Wait one moment young maid." Mebuki spoke up, her shoulder length blond hair rustled as she stood from her chair. "Sakura and her father will be going into the kingdom to get some dresses tailored and I would like you to accompany them, make sure they don't get lost." The queen approached the raven haired maid and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, your highness." Hinata curtseyed once more before leaving the royal group.

Naruto stood by the table and shifted uncomfortably as Mebuki made her way back to her seat, "So what do you need me for?" He asked his mother.

"Come, sit Naruto." Mebuki patted the free chair between her and Mikoto.

Naruto did as he was told and sat between the mothers of his guests, feeling more comfortable now that he was seated. "The ladies were wondering where you were, they wanted to spend time with the birthday boy before they left tomorrow." Tsunade informed her heir, her long hair spilling onto the table as she rested her chin on her entwined hands.

"That reminds me, where did you disappear to during your celebration?" Mebuki turned to the young man and asked.

"Oh… umm…" He stumbled for words.

"Were you with Sasuke? He was unaccounted for as well…" Mikoto pointed out, a sly smile played on her lips.

"Plus, Sakura was with Kizashi and me the entire time." Mebuki added.

The prince blushed slightly and continued his search for words, _"What is this?" _he screamed to himself.

"Is there something I should know Naruto?" Tsunade playfully asked, a devious look in her brown eyes as she realized where the other women were going with it.

This caused the boy's blush to deepen, "N-nothing like that!" He stammered.

The three women laughed at the amusing result of their teasing, Naruto slumped in his seat and crossed his arms. "You done yet?" He pouted.

"Not quite," The blond queen told her son, "Mikoto and I were previously talking about how you and Sasuke have not spent time together, except for the unknown birthday disappearance that is." An obvious smirk was plastered on her face.

"And?" The blond prince scowled at the queen.

"We have arranged for you and Sasuke to go horseback riding." Mikoto happily stated, clapping her hands together. "Oh! I shall go get Sasuke now, I believe he is around here somewhere." She hopped from her seat and headed off to another side of the garden.

"What?!" He yelled as he straightened his posture, "Why horseback riding?"

"Your father told me you 'go riding everyday', so we thought you would enjoy some company." Tsunade quoted what the blond had told the king the other day. "We have already arranged things with Neji, he is waiting for you two in the stables."

* * *

Mikoto was wandering through the gardens when she happened upon a large crowd of lilies. Her youngest son was resting behind the bushes, a slight snore could be heard from his throat. The queen smiled to herself, a nostalgic feeling warmed her as she remembered his younger years. When Sasuke turned on his side, an idea popped into the female raven's head. Giggling to herself, she quietly ventured back to the group with a devious plan in mind.

* * *

"Do I have toooo?" The prince whined.

"No matter how many times you ask, YES! Now just sit and wait for Mikoto to come with Sasuke." Tsunade commanded and Mebuki sat entertained at the spectacle in front of her.

The Uchiha queen sauntered up to the seated group and announced "I couldn't find him… He must be napping around here, I'm sure I saw him!" She discretely winked at the two other queens.

"So, Naruto, what sorts of things do you do when you don't have guests in your castle?" Mebuki asked, grabbing the teen's attention away from the approaching raven.

As the blond teen and Sakura's mother chatted, Mikoto snuck over to Tsunade and whispered what she saw into the host queen's ear. Brown eyes widened at the Uchiha's concocted idea, a playful smile tugged at her lips. The two queens silently nodded to each other in agreement. Mikoto sat back down in her seat next to the chatting prince and waited for their conversation to end.

"Naruto" Tsunade brought the teen's attention back to her, "Mikoto is our guest and has tired herself from searching around the gardens. I would like you to go and search for Sasuke yourself."

"What?!" The blond suddenly rose from his seat in protest, "And what if I don't?"

"No. Ramen. Ever. Again" She said slowly, watching the blond deflate with every word.

With a sigh, Naruto started on his journey to find the sleeping Uchiha. "Just tell him about the arrangement, no need to come back here!" Mikoto instructed.

"Have fun on your date!" Tsunade called to him. Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned to glare daggers at the two.

Mebuki turned back to the table, "You know Fugaku and Jiraiya would not be happy with the plans you two have for those boys." She smirked as she playfully shook a finger at the two queens.

Mikoto giggled, "That is for sure, but I want what is best for Sasuke." She smiled gently, Tsunade agreeing with a bright grin.

* * *

"Why do I have to go searching for that jerk?" Naruto grumbled to himself as he kicked a few loose stones in the path. He walked along the flowers, searching around bushes and hedges for the youngest Uchiha. A bush of lilies rustled from a breeze, revealing a glimpse of raven hair. Naruto walked around the flowers and found Sasuke laying on his back with his head to the side. The blond kneeled down on one knee to better expect the slumbering teen. Thick bangs were ruffled by the wind's soft touch and long eyelashes bobbed with every move the dreaming eyes made. The raven's sleeping face showed a gentle and vulnerable expression which caught the blond prince off guard. Naruto tried to resist the urge to caress pale, soft looking, cheeks. After some time fighting between his id and superego, his id won this battle. A tan hand reached out and barely touched the skin of the sleeping boy, a shiver fluttered from the hand throughout his body. As he kneeled, frozen in place, he could feel a warmth rising to his cheeks and ears. Due to a minor twitch in Naruto's arm, the napping prince became aware of another presence. Dark eyes snapped open, "Dobe? What are you doing?"

Naruto stayed in his position until finally thinking of a way to get out of the situation, "Waking you up!" He answered rather loudly as he used the hand that was caressing the cheek to smack it, fairly hard.

"What the hell?" Sasuke hissed while rubbing his aching cheek.

"Our moms have forced us to spend time together, they arranged some horses for us." Naruto rose from the ground and brushed off the dirt on his knees.

"So, what? We are going riding?" The raven asked the other teen as he stood and stretched the sleepiness out of his system.

"Looks like it, just try not to choke too much on my dust." The blond prince replied with an overly confident look, a cocky half smile-half smirk dawned on his face.

"Yeah right idiot, won't be long until you ask for my help." Sasuke smirked back.

The two princes started for the stables, Naruto in front to look for all the shortcuts through the garden. Sasuke continuously began to lag behind until coming to a complete stop, getting lost in his thoughts. Gently he raised his hand to his face. Slender fingers brushed the spot where a tan hand was touching previously, a small smile wanted desperately to escape onto the Uchiha's face. "What are you doing?" The blond stopped in the middle of one of his shortcuts, his hand pushing some tall plants out of his way. Big cerulean eyes, framed with dark eyelashes, starred at the raven with a confused look.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted to the blond as a reply, resuming his position behind the other prince.

The two journeyed once more through the garden shortcuts, "Don't be a dick…" Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Don't be an idiot…" Sasuke playfully mimicked, causing the blond to let loose the drooping branch he was repressing and smacked the raven square in the face.

* * *

Two parter! Next time will be the horseback riding "date" ;D

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**KH Freak 813: **Your wish is my command haha xD

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	6. Chapter 4 Cont - Pondering Part 2

**Pondering… Part 2**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!**

**A/N:** Sorry this is a day late, but I'm now on spring break! Yaaaaaay, free time! X) (Even though it is spring break, it's snowing cats and dogs outside my window right now… -_-)

* * *

In the last chapter:

"_Stupid… Asshole… Duckbutt Sasuke!" Naruto sat up and ruffled his blond spikes out of frustration. "What a sneaky bastard…" he growled and threw his pillow at the wall. The prince rested his elbows on his knee and stared at the flooring, remembering what happened earlier in the day._

"_What?!" He yelled as he straightened his posture, "Why horseback riding?" _

"_Your father told me you 'go riding everyday', so we thought you would enjoy some company." Tsunade quoted what the blond had told the king the other day. "We have already arranged things with Neji, he is waiting for you two in the stables."_

* * *

The two teens stumbled out of some bushes between two orchard trees, the wooden building stood just a few feet away from them. Both were out of breath and sported scratches on their skin. Naruto slowed his pace and fell behind Sasuke, "What are you doing?" the raven asked while turning to face the blond.

"Taking a breather…" The blond responded while bending down and resting his palms on his knees.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, turning back toward the stables.

Blue eyes focused on a small rock between his boots. Quickly, he reached down and gripped the cold rock in his tan palm. Naruto stood back up and lifted his weapon, aiming at the black spikes in front of him and released. Sasuke toppled forward at the sudden impact and clutched his throbbing head. "Naruto! STOP THROWING ROCKS AT ME!" The prince turned to the blond and snapped, his dark eyes widened in anger.

"Stop being an asshole then!"

Sasuke groaned in frustration, "You're lucky there aren't any fallen branches around!"

"Ha! You've smacked me enough with a branch near the roses, I bet I know all your moves." The blond smugly stated. The two princes glared at each other, until the long haired raven emerged from the stable's large double doors. He lead two adult horses behind him, their backs were decorated with decorated leather saddles.

"Will you two stop your lovers quarrel?" Neji spoke up, bringing the two teens out of their glaring battle.

"What is up with everyone today?" Naruto asked with exasperation. "This isn't a date or anything! I'm being forced into this!" he yelled, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. Sasuke starred at him in confusion and the pale eyed coachman smirked as the response. Once he realized he wasn't going to get a response, Naruto huffed and walked over to the horses. "So which one is mine?"

"I thought you went riding every day." Neji raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk placed on his face.

"You know I don't! I just told my old man that so they wouldn't find out about the orphanage." The blond said in a whisper as some other servants walked by.

"Why don't you want them to know?" Sasuke spoke up, Naruto jumped as if he had forgotten the raven was there.

"They don't like me to going outside of the castle, overly protective right?" He rolled his azure eyes and headed started looking over both adult stallions. "I want this one!" He pointed to the tall ginger horse with a bright red mane, "I'll call him Kyuubi…" The newly named horse neighed and scratched its hooves in the dirt, a wild look in its eyes.

"He's a new one, just imported from across seas." The long haired raven commented, stroking the long hair of the exotic horse.

"That leaves this beauty for Prince Sasuke." The servant brought over a light brown horse with a full grey mane, a strange black mark was spread across its nose.

"What'cha going to name it?" Naruto asked happily, showing a toothy grin to his new horse.

"I'm not an idiot like you, I don't see the need to name a horse I am temporarily borrowing." Sasuke scoffed at the blond prince.

Naruto stuck his tongue out and hopped onto his steed, "Whoa!" he yelped as the stallion bucked stubbornly. The prince softly stroke the bright red mane and whispered into its ear, "Shh, shh. It's okaaaaayy." Kyuubi softened his gaze and lowered his head slightly, acknowledging Naruto as a comforting presence.

Sasuke positioned himself on his stallion and clicked his tongue, the horse responded to the sound with a small huff and turned to the direction the prince was pulling his reins. The guest prince guided his horse down a path, which lead away from the stables and toward the back entrance to the castle's grounds. Naruto followed suit and settled for a casual speed next to the raven's horse. Neji stood in front of the stable doors and watched the two stride off towards the forest behind the back wall, a smirk placed on his lips. "This is so a date." He said aloud, grabbing a bucket of oats and heading inside to feed the other horses.

* * *

The two rode quietly through the yard until Sasuke glanced at the blond and asked, "Why so quiet?"

"Shhh, it's quiet." Naruto jokingly hushed the raven with an index finger at his lips. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the pathetic joke. The blond, on the other hand, was smiling and proudly patted himself on the back it.

"Don't be too stupid, or you'll fall behind." Sasuke told the other prince, clicking his tongue once more to quicken the horse's pace.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed and commanded his ginger horse to catch up. "You would be eating my dust."

"Uh huh…" The raven sarcastically said and quickened his horse once more, angering the blond.

"Fine! Try this!" The host prince yelled, "H-yah Kyuubi!" he commanded his steed. The horse changed into a full on gallop and flew past the raven and his horse.

"Oh, it's on."

The two rushed through the yards and towards the back gate. Each one, at some point, passing the other. Stationed guards at the gate panicked at the sight of the fast approaching boys and rushed to open the gates. Naruto yelled a hello and waved at the men as he zoomed through the entrance, the guards shook their heads disapprovingly but waved back anyway. The two horses and their masters rushed into the forest a few feet beyond the gate and created their own paths. A small pond came into view and they both agreed to stop and let the horses rest, calling a truce on the race. A strange sound erupted as they approached the small body of water. Sprawled on a bed of grass was an unknown creature, apparently favoring a leg and whining loudly. The strange mammal's fur shined a light shade of grey and pointed ears twitched as it winced in pain. Naruto quickly stopped his horse and started to dismount, "What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke snapped his head toward the teen.

"I'm gonna help it, it's injured." The blond said quietly, not wanting to scare off the hurt animal. He led Kyuubi to a close tree and tied his reins to the body of the wood.

"Don't be a dumbass, come back here!" Sasuke commanded as he hopped off his horse and went after the blond.

The injured animal growled at Naruto as he started to close the distance between them, lifting its lips to reveal sharp yellowed teeth. Its pale grey fur started to fluff upwards and its ears folded downwards. Slightly panicking, Sasuke bent down and grabbed a medium sized rock and chucked it towards the creature. The stone grazed Naruto's nose, a thin sheet of air between the rock and his face. A loud clack echoed when the rock hit a larger rock sitting a few feet behind the animal. The unknown creature jumped from fear and lunged at Naruto, which caused the raven to fling another stone at the animal. The blond prince stumbled back and tripped over a root extended from the ground. The creature gave up its attack out of fear, easily getting onto its feet and dashing deep into the brush.

"What the fuck?" Naruto whispered, "Asshole, why did you scare it?!" He snapped his head to the raven and gave him a deep scowl. He pushed himself up and brushed loose dirt and blades of grass off his backside.

Sasuke stomped towards the prince and rolled his eyes, extending his arms and thrust the blond into the cold water. Naruto wailed and flailed his arms in an attempt to grab something. A big splash of water jumped into the air as he was submerged. A soaked mass of blond hair poked through the water's surface, the prince held an unimpressed frown on his face.

"Think about it idiot. If the animal was actually hurt, why was it able to steady itself and run away so fast?" Sasuke walked over and squatted down, blankly explained to the soaked blond and smirked when reality dawned on Naruto. The hosting prince's face twisted in frustration and he jumped from the pond and grabbed the raven, pulling him down with him. Both began to flail around in the chilled water and started hitting each other. Their punches eventually slowed and lightened due to fatigue, the two princes were out of breath. Standing in front of each other, the pond's water settled around their hips.

A breathy laugh vibrated Naruto's throat, causing confusion in the raven. "We must look like idiots, what are we doing?" The blond asked aloud. A deep chuckle escaped the young Uchiha and grabbed the younger teen's attention. A genuine smile had found its way onto Sasuke's face. Naruto stared at the scene before him with surprise and fascination. The spiked black hair stuck flat to Sasuke's head and skin, some of his bangs were tousled and some rested above his head. Small blue droplets rolled down his pale cheeks and gathered at his chin to fall back to the surface. A warm tingly feeling, similar to the fluttery one previously, spread through his body. Dark eyes rested on the blond and copied what the pair of blue eyes were doing.

Naruto's usual mass of sunshine spikes were tame and stuck to his forehead and the nape of his neck. His tan skin shone in the sun's light, the small streaks of water glistened atop his skin. Large cerulean orbs, framed by dark lashes, swirled and clouded with an unknown emotion. Sasuke felt his heart quicken, a small flutter echoed in his chest and spread to his limbs. A pale arm lifted out of the water and gently touched the wet blond locks. Pale fingers twisted and caressed the bright strands, a visible shiver went down Naruto's body. The blond prince stood still in the water, small ripples swam away from the teens as the raven stepped closer to the younger prince. A tender palm rested on Naruto's shoulder and their eyes continued to watch each other as the distance between their faces lessened. Blindly, the blond teen raised a tan hand to the Uchiha's chest and gripped the dark fabric delicately. The raven was close enough for Naruto to feel his warm breath graze his lips. The two paused, both dark and azure eyes glazed over.

A sudden rustle in nearby bushes caused a flock of birds to rise from their place in the treetops, loudly cawing as they flew off. The two teens were startled and brought back to reality, back to the pond in the middle of the forest outside the castle's gates. Sasuke wavered before backing away, clearing his throat. "You had a piece of algae in your hair…" the raven informed the shocked blond as he flicked a meager piece into the water, a small plop sounded and ripples spread on the surface. Naruto's cheeks heated, he quickly turned away from the other teen and started for land.

"Thanks…" Naruto replied, his voice above a whisper.

Both stallions stood where they were left, sniffing around for things to snack on. Kyuubi lifted his head to the sound of footsteps, his red mane swayed to the left side of the long bridge of his nose. A chill ran through Naruto, causing him to stop in his tracks. He groaned loudly as he realized he forgot to bring his cloak. Long black fabric landed on his face and obstructed his vision. Naruto held a think dark cloak in his hands, he turned his head to the other teen to ask about it. Sasuke had already walked away and was mounting his steed once more. The blond stared at the mantle before tying around his shoulders, then heading to Kyuubi and untying him from the trunk. The two princes made their way back through the forest and towards the castle.

Naruto would cast some side glances to the raven teen, wondering what exactly happened back at the pond. _"We were so close to kissing…"_ The thought caused his entire face to redden. _"Was he about to?"_ Blue eyes darted to the side, examining the person riding next to him. _"Couldn't have…" _A sudden thought popped into the blond head, one with the image of a certain pinkette. _"THAT DICK! He wants to distract me from Sakura so he can swoop in and steal her!" _He furrowed his eyebrows. Anger burned in his blue eyes, though a certain shoulder tingled slightly.

* * *

Naruto silently dismounted from his horse and tied his reins to the post outside the stable, turning away towards the castle. "Naruto? Where are you going?" Sasuke asked as he climbed from his saddle and brought the grey haired horse to the same post as Kyuubi.

"Going to take a bath." The blond prince hissed.

Sasuke stood shocked and confused as the blond picked up his speed, basically jogging away.

The blond prince stopped at the castle doors, hesitating to open the door. He knew the three queens would pester him with questions and tease him. Turning away from the wooden doors, he decided to skip the dinner feast and waste time in the stables.

Naruto snuck back to the long wooden building, hiding behind a tree when he saw Sasuke emerge from the large double doors. The raven ran a hand through his dark locks before heading towards the castle for dinner. Once he was out of sight, the blond quickly entered the building and shut the doors behind him. Neji looked up from his work and gave the prince a confused look. "Naruto?" He asked, setting down the saddle he was working on. "What are you doing here?" The blond ignored his question and headed past the pale eyed raven and toward an empty stall. "Isn't dinner being served soon?" Neji asked once more, hoping to get something out of the blond. Naruto gathered some hay and grabbed a nearby blanket to cover the heap. Silently, he flopped onto his back and rested his arms behind his head. Figuring it was something personal, Neji sighed and headed back to his work. The two quietly passed time, Neji working on horse equipment and Naruto contemplating or napping.

The two teens jumped when the large wood doors were swung open and a petite maid entered. Worry and anger swam in her pale eyes, "Naruto! Come!" she yelled pointing an index finger downwards in front of her. The blond peeked his head through the stall door, giving the maid a 'please don't kill me' look. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, indicating once again with her downturned finger. The blond groaned and exited the stall, dragging his feet as he walked to the female raven. Neji chuckled as he watched, shinning some horseshoes. "Where were you sir?" She asked respectfully but with a hint of anger.

"What d'ya mean?" Naruto innocently replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You didn't come to dinner and both guest families have left. They insisted to wait for you to finish your bath. But the King and Queen told them they had a long ride ahead of them, so they should leave." She scolded the prince.

"Heh…" Naruto faintly replied as he ruffled his dried spikes.

Hinata rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm firmly, "Come sir, it is past nightfall. You must get to bed, since you will have a long day of scolding from the queen tomorrow."

The prince groaned dramatically and followed the maid back to the castle. They separated in the corridor after the staircase. Hinata going towards the guest rooms to help with clean up, and Naruto heading to his chambers. The blond prince stomped into his bed chambers, throwing his long cloak onto the room's single chair. His once yellow tunic was covered in grass stains and splotches of dirt. Naruto approached the large window and pulled back the silk curtains.

* * *

The prince had fallen asleep long ago, still sprawled on top of his bed. Though he lightly gripped his shoulder while he dreamed. The opened window allowed in the moderate breeze, causing the curtains to dance in the air. Two dark figures stood in the corner behind the flowing curtains. One quietly stepped toward the sleeping blond, pulling out a weapon of some sort from beneath their cloak. The second figure grabbed their partner's shoulder, "Not yet."

"Why not? He is an easy target right now!" The weapon holding figure whispered impatiently.

"We are still not sure, we need to wait for confirmation from the Raven. For now, we are to observe." The second figure quietly stated and headed to the open window.

"This is bullshit…" The figure slipped the weapon back into its place beneath the thick cloak. Both leapt from the window and onto the castle's roof, dashing away as the sun raised from behind the tree line.

* * *

**Here is a small part I wanted to add but couldn't quite fit it in:**

Sasuke wondered from the stables and towards the castle, heavy emotions swirling inside of his head. Sauntering down the path, he passed the outskirts of the garden. A small glance to the flowered area and the raven prince stopped in his tracks. The meek maid was sitting among some daisies with the pink princess resting her head in her lap. The pinkette dreamed quietly with an occasional mumble here and there. Hinata looked over the slumbering girl, gently combing long pink hair with her thin fingers. A slight blush dusted her cheeks as she smiled kindly to the princess, slightly hidden by long black hair fluttering in a gust of wind. Sasuke sneakily turned from the loving scene with an arrogant smirk placed on his lips.

"Good. She won't get in the way." He muttered as he sauntered to dinner.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 5 - Welcome Back?

**Welcome Back…?**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me**

**A/N:** I wrote on the latest chapter of my other story that I have been having problems with my laptop. I had it sent to be fixed for about 1 ½ weeks, but now it is back and in (hopefully) working order! :D I'm also done with midterms and spring break so everything should get back to normal!

Thanks to **Chile of Darkness**, **Pride . Lucifer**, **Realynnie**, **Actingfreak**, **Ainman8755**, **Tamagoyakihime**, and **Killua17** for following!

Thanks to **Chile of Darkness** and **FlariceFlame** for the favorite!

Enjoy :)

* * *

The blond prince wandered through the garden with his fingers intertwined and resting on his head. He closed his azure eyes and let loose a long, heavy, sigh. After the pond incident, all four seasons had passed and it was summer once again. Naruto's year had been a rollercoaster of emotions; trying to figure out Sasuke's intentions, getting through rough times in the kingdom, and settling his own feelings for Sakura. The last time he saw the pinkette was about two months ago.

* * *

"_Naruto! I need to talk to you in private!" _She came running to the blond after stepping out of her carriage.

"_Hi to you too Sakura." _He stuck his lip out in an attempt to fake pout, _"What is it you want to talk about?"_

Sakura fidgeted with the hemming of her golden gown, her green eyes swirled with a mix of emotions, emotions that Naruto could not figure out. Though the look on her face screamed of desperation. Without a reply, Naruto took hold of the princess' palm and led her to his chambers. He stuck his head out into the corridor to see if anyone followed them, once he was satisfied with the empty hall he gently closed the door. Sakura instantly went to a lone chair sitting in front of the curtain covered window. Loose pink strands from her complex bun fell onto her exposed neck, lightly moving from the slightest breeze coming through the partially opened window. Naruto plopped himself on the edge of his bed, crossing his legs and placed his chin in both of his palms. _"Have you heard of the arrangement?"_ Sakura asked the blond, turning her pink head his way and lifting pink eyebrows.

"_Arrangement?"_ He raised a brow, _"The hell are you talking about?" _

"_I heard that my parents had made an arrangement with your and Sasuke's parents when we were younger."_ She explained while starring into her lap. _"That whomever I marry will be the kingdom my father will ally with. That it is up to me to choose who we will protect and who is left on their own."_ She twisted and played with the fabric of her dress.

Naruto lifted his head, his cerulean eyes widened as he realized the situation, _"WHAT?" _He yelled, catching the pinkette off guard and making her jump in her seat. _"So our parents are using us as bargaining tools?"_ He threw his arms in the air.

"_In a way, yes. I have to choose either you or Sasuke to marry…"_ She turned her gaze to the floor and said solemnly.

"_Shit…" _Naruto muttered as he ran a hand through his wild locks. The prince lifted himself off the bed and started to pace back and forth in front of the canopy bed. _"Does Sasuke know?"_

She shook her head, _"I have no idea… I highly doubt he doesn't, you know how his father is." _

"_That cunning bastard…" _The blond growled,_ "So that's why…"_ He thought aloud.

"_What, Naruto?"_ She asked as she tilted her head to the right.

"_Oh… Umm."_ He rubbed the back of his neck, a slight blush dusting his cheeks._ "It's kinda embarrassing…"_ The prince explained softly.

Sakura stood and walked over to Naruto, her hands placed on her hips. _"Spill."_ She instructed.

The blond prince sighed before reciting the events, _"Sasuke and I were forced to go horseback riding. He was being a dick so I challenged him to a race, which I won of course. After leaving the back gates, we raced our way into the forest where we found an injured animal lying beside a deep pond."_

"_How do you know it was deep?" _Sakura asked, bringing the prince out of his groove.

_Uh, I'll get to that in a sec…"_ Naruto recovered, _"So, I got off Kyuubi to help the creature since I am so nice."_ The pinkette rolled her eyes. _"Before I could help it, Sasuke-teme threw a rock straight at it. The thing got up and ran off, IT RAN OFF! The fucker was faking it the whole time! And even worse, that royal asshole pushed me into the water!"_ He scoffed.

"_What? Why?"_ Sakura asked, she had never heard of or seen the raven act so energetic around her.

"_Some stupid reason."_ He pouted as he pushed the real reason to the back of his mind. _"But I gave him what he deserved, I pulled him in!"_ Naruto grinned widely._ "After we fought for a bit, we started to laugh at ourselves. That was when I-"_ He stopped short as he remembered the scene, a deep red spread over his whiskered cheeks.

"_What happened next?"_ Sakura asked desperately.

"_Well, um, we kinda just starred at each other for a bit." _

"_Starred at each other? Why?"_

"_Well… In the moment, He looked… really sexy." _Naruto could feel the warm blush spread like wildfire to the tips of his ears. _"He softly touched my shoulder and his warm palm was sitting in my hair."_ He explained as if he were in a daze, a tan hand unconsciously clutched said shoulder. Snapping out of it, he growled _"But the asshole was just taking a piece of algae out of my hair."_

The pinkette stood still throughout the story, her emerald eyes wide with excitement. Jumping up and down, Sakura gasped before squealing _"Oh my god! You two are meant for each other!"_

"_What the hell? I thought you were head over heels for Sasuke." _Naruto starred at her with bewilderment.

"_Sure Sasuke is hot, but boy on boy is even sexier!" _She explained, rolling her eyes like it was an obvious fact.

"_Boy on boy? I don't like the teme like that!"_ He yelled a little too loudly. Now he wasn't sure if his reddened face was from embarrassment or anger.

"_Don't worry, I'll support you two!" _She playfully winked at the blushing blond, _"Wait… How does this tie into the arrangement?" _She asked once she snapped out of her fangirling mode.

"_Duckbutt was just trying to throw me off so he could come sweep you up and get the protection!"_ The prince yelled.

"_Uh huh…"_ She muttered doubtfully. _"Or…Maybe he like-likes you?" _Naruto scoffed, due to the absurdity of the idea, before turning his back on the pinkette. She smiled gently, _"Now, I want to go have lunch in the garden."_ She instructed with her head held high.

Naruto smiled tenderly,_ "Alright, I'll call for Hinata."_ He said as he turned to open the door.

"_Whoa!" _She grabbed the prince by the wrist,_ "Why not call for someone else? Let Hinata take a break!"_ She had a smile on her face but her eyes screamed of some type of fear.

The blond prince shrugged and opened the door for the princess, his azure eyes focused on the pinkette in front of him. _"I can't like Sasuke, it's not possible."_ He thought, _"I'll foil his plan and steal Sakura before the teme even has the chance!"_ Naruto ultimately decided and grinned with full confidence.

* * *

Naruto passed by a familiar crowd of lilies, the raven prince's face popped into the blond's thought. _"How should I act around him?"_ He pondered as he stood where he previously found the slumbering teen. _"Now that I know his plan, should I act like I haven't figured it out?"_ Boney fingers pinched the stem of a blooming lily before separating it from the others and bringing it to his face. The aroma of the flower brought back the memory in more detail, the fluttering feeling returning as well. He could still feel the warmth on the tips of his fingers, blue eyes closed as he physically remembered the smooth skin his hand grazed. The blond was brought out of his strange trance by an elder servant, "Sir! Their Highness have requested your presence by the grand doors, the royal Uchihas will be arriving soon." His face fell, he gently placed the picked lily where Sasuke's head lay a year before. The same questions resurfaced in his mind as he made his way back to the castle.

* * *

Sasuke jolted awake as the embellished coach ran over a large object in the road, he rubbed his sleep filled eyes with a palm before glancing up towards his family. Mikoto sat beside Fugaku with her head turned toward one of the windowed doors. Upon closer inspection, the teen could see her eyes closed and a small, nearly inaudible snore escaped her throat. The king sat tall, his dark eyes focused on the multiple parchments gripped in his hands. It wasn't unusual for his father to bring his work with him, so Sasuke assumed it was of foreign affairs or some other importance. Itatchi was seated to the right of the younger prince, his long hair loose and hid the older teen's face. By the bob of his head with every lump the carriage rode over, the young Uchiha figured his brother was slumbering as well.

Sasuke moved his hand to the crook of his seat and removed a small letter he had brought with him. The raven had received word from the pink princess but procrastinated opening it due to dreading whatever she wrote. Quietly, he opened the parchment and began to read the ink note.

_My dear Sasuke, _

_I am saddened to inform you that I will not be able to attend our usual get-together with Naruto, I am stuck in my kingdom. My parents are forcing me to attend the gala in celebration of a daughter of one of our dukes, stupid Ino-pig. So please tell the blond idiot of my absence. _

_Your love, _

_Sakura_

The young Uchiha rolled his eyes at the signature. Though the pinkette could be clingy, she was never boring to talk to. The prince felt a small giddiness at the fact that he would be able to spend time alone with the blond prince. Sasuke had decided at the end of his last visit that he would give up on his father's expectations and follow what he longed for. Every time Naruto spoke, every time the blond moved captivated the raven prince. He could not and refused to marry Sakura, he would hate everyday spent in that married life. Though he hadn't told his father or mother yet, Sasuke planned to change his target. _"Uchihas never lose…"_ He chanted in his mind as pale fingers gently folded the letter back up and placed it in between the coach wall and his seat.

The young raven glanced out the window to his left, just in time to see a familiar house sitting on a grassy hill. Small energetic figures ran about the yard as the curly haired woman stood in the doorway with a gentle smile on her face. At the sound of the horses, the children stopped to wave at the foreign looking carriage. Sasuke kept himself from waving back, but he couldn't resist a small smile. "What are you doing Sasuke?" His father's deep voice brought him back to the inside of the carriage. Dark, piercing, eyes looked up and over a bundle of parchment.

"I was just distracting myself with the outside, sir." Sasuke replied as he adjusted his posture.

"If you have time to daydream, then you have time to plan." The elder man stated as he brought the papers back up to obstruct his face. "You must not let that blond boy win. Uchihas don't lose." His voice grew slightly loud as the king said the last sentence.

"_This is my chance…" _The words echoed in Sasuke's mind. "Father." He started, "I don't wa-." The prince was interrupted by a knock on the roof and a muffled whistle.

"We must be there." Fugaku announced and turned to wake his dreaming wife. "Wake your brother, we must look presentable."

Sasuke sighed as he reached out his arm and smacked the back of the elder prince's head. Surprised, Itachi swung his head up and bashed it on the back of his seat. Rubbing the crown of his head, the long haired male glared at the young prince. Instead of laughing at his brother's pain, Sasuke smirked with full confidence and a hint of cockiness. The older prince raise his hand in front of his younger brother's face and caused him to flinch backwards. Itachi smirked as he flicked his index finger forward and hitting the other prince's covered forehead.

"Ahem." Fugaku cleared his throat, "It is time." Mikoto smiled, her onyx eyes still retaining a sleepy glaze. The youngest Uchiha grabbed the princess' letter and stuck it into the waist of his dark blue pants. Itachi fixed his loose ebony hair then smoothing out his black and red ensemble. The usual coachman opened on of the doors and offered a hand to its occupants. Mikoto exited first and was followed by the king, then her two sons. Sasuke was last to step out and cringed at the sudden change in lighting. Once he recovered, the young man calmly looked over to the hosting family.

Jiraiya stood tall and strong, like usual, but his face seemed more worn or weathered. A closer look would bring attention to the light, but visible, bags under his neutral orbs. He offered up a smile and open arms to his friends, but the gesture fell short in his eyes. The blond queen standing beside him held her posture straight and her head up high. Her lengthy yellow hair hung down her back instead of in either a complex braid or duel ponytails. Deep brown eyes above a tender smile were cold and as hard as stone. Sasuke frowned at the sight of the blond prince, who was as unusual as his parents. On Jiraiya's other side stood Naruto, his blond hair grew since the raven prince last saw him. The golden locks fell and covered his ears, messy bangs poked out in every which way above ocean blue orbs. The blond teen was purposefully avoiding Sasuke's gaze and focusing all attention on Jiraiya and Fugaku's interactions. His tan skin seemed paler than last summer, the scars on his cheeks more noticeable with the lighter shade. "Uchiha, my friend, welcome!" The white haired man bellowed.

"Tsunade..." Mikoto called, her voice just above a whisper. Concern for her friend evident on her pale face. "What has happened?"

"Nothing, dear friend you mustn't worry." She smiled weakly, the corners of her mouth quivered ever so slightly. "Come, let's venture to the gardens where we may admire the blooming roses." She announced while turning to the entrance, her husband and guest following suit.

* * *

As the two royal families made their way through the corridors and rooms to the back doors, Sasuke made to note of the stationed guards. Tall, stoic men stood by all the entrances and any window that could be a vulnerable spot. The young raven prince tossed a side glance to his crush, Naruto walked just a few feet beside the Uchiha but tried his hardest to squeeze himself as close to the wall as possible. The blond prince could feel the gazes of the raven, but evaded them by jumping randomly into his father, Itachi, and Fugaku's conversations; sometimes without really any knowledge of what they were talking about.

"Hey, Dad." He piped up, "Isn't that the kingdom to the East?"

"Wha- Naruto?" Jiraiya asked from surprise, turning his head back toward the teen. "We were talking about that nation when you asked five minutes ago."

"If I am correct, your schooling has not reached that point. Once you have learned of this topic, I would love to hear you input." The Uchiha king said in a friendly manner, but his face was dry of emotion.

Naruto huffed in disappointment, slouching his shoulders and head. From habit, the blond looked up at Sasuke. He analyzed the prince's features, becoming mesmerized like before. Onyx orbs met cerulean, a small gasp and the younger prince turned his head back in front of him. The raven watched the blond with dark eyes filled with concern and sharp focus. Golden locks of hair fell and obscured the young teen's face, which kept the rose colored flush that took hold of the blond's face. _"Stop it… Stop it brain!"_ Naruto yelled at his mind, _"Sasuke doesn't look hot! Keep on track. We need to beat him at his own game."_

"_What is wrong with him? Something is wrong, he isn't being his usual amount of idiot." _Sasuke pondered, his face twisting in frustration.

Itachi watched his brother and the blond with interest. The usual emotionless face he wore in public disappeared to reveal a knowing look in his charcoal eyes. Much like his mother, the elder prince knew of his brother's crush. The younger raven wasn't as skilled when containing heavy emotions, like love and anger. _"Oh dear Sasuke… If only you knew."_ He thought with a chuckle and smirk. From his spot, a space in between the adults and the two teens, Itachi could see Naruto's flushed cheeks. His emotionless mask returned at the sight and analysis of the blond's whiskered scars. Without another thought, the elder prince turned back to the political conversation he once was a part of.

"Madame!" A feminine voice called from behind the group. "Your highness!" A stout servant was scurrying up to the group.

Tsunade whirled around and caused her free flowing hair to whip her husband in the face. As Jiraiya groaned in pain and cupped his cheek, the queen responded with "Maria?" and halted the group.

The plump woman took a moment and lowered her head to catch her breath. Her white apron smudged with dirt and grass stains, the tips of her fingers still discolored with earth. "Madame, *huff* the tailor has sent you a message."

The blond queen gasped, "No! I forgot our appointment."

"Yes, miss. He is asking if you are able to *huff* come to get your finished attire."

Tsunade looked at her guests and after a momentary thought, she decided how to fix the situation. "Maria. Please find Hinata and give her any errands that need to be run, including the tailors."

"Of course, your highness." With a curtsey, maid Maria left the group to finish their walk to the garden.

After the servant was gone, Tsunade placed herself back with Mikoto and resumed walking. Jiraiya still pouted, but also proceeded with his political conversation with the king and his oldest son. Naruto leaned forward and poked the back of his mother's head, eventually tugging on her loose hair. Tsunade would smack his hand away, only to find it tugging once more on her long locks. Angrily, the pale blond woman whipped her head around and glared daggers at her heir. "What. Is. It. Naruto?" She asked through gritted teeth and Naruto swore he could see one of her brown eyes twitching.

"I… uhh, wanted to ask if I could go hang out with Neji." He meekly replied.

"Fine" The queen sighed and rubbed both of her index fingers on her temples, "but Sasuke comes with you."

"Wha-?" The prince started to complain.

"Up-bup-bup!" She hushed him, "Do it." Tsunade commanded while Mikoto stayed quiet in the background and enjoyed the show, giggling from time to time.

`Giving in, he turned and lightly punched the raven on the shoulder, "C'mon bastard." He muttered so only Sasuke could hear. The last thing he needed was to be chewed out by the old hag for poor language. The raven prince lightly touched his shoulder and quietly thanked Tsunade for having Naruto take him. The blond prince had already started through the back door and toward the stables. Sasuke hurried to catch up to the other teen and kept a few step behind him, so Naruto wouldn't notice the raven admiring his every action.

* * *

Just wanted to mention that yesterday my family and I had to put down our 18 year old cat (One which I have known and loved since I was 1 year old) and I am going through some pretty heavy feelings at the moment. I really don't want this to poorly influence my writing in any way, I care about the quality of my stories.

Thanks :)


	8. Chapter 6 - Errand Day

**Errand Day**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the characters… Just this plot. **

Thanks to **Nickyheron**, **Princess Sin**,** EnRei**, and **BlackOnBlack93** for following!

Thank you **Nickyheron** for the favorite!

:D

* * *

The weather was calm and smoldering, the wind was nonexistent and allowed the high temperature to linger, with each breath Sasuke felt his lungs fill with heated air. Naruto glanced to his right and left before whistling a loud bird call, changing his direction suddenly. "Wh-what the hell?" Sasuke called while turning sharply to match the blond's path. "I thought we were going to the stables?!"

"We are." Naruto replied dryly, "I'm not wearing **this** throughout the village." He pointed to the bright red fabric clothing his chest, simple black pants lay underneath.

"Aren't you not allowed to leave the castle?" The raven asked suspiciously, his dark eyes squinting as he remembered what the blond said long ago.

Naruto ignored the question all together and quickened his pace, turning abruptly once more. Their path leading up a large staircase and down the familiar corridor, toward the hosting prince's chambers. The blond stopped in front of an embellished oak door and caused Sasuke, who was distracted with an animal outside a hallway window, to crash into his side. The raven prince hissed from pain, clutching a top corner of his chest._ "Shit, Naruto's shoulders are boney as hell…"_ The blond held the door open with one hand and used his other to cradling his shoulder, glaring at the once distracted prince "Pay attention teme!" Sasuke analyzed his crush's face, his cheekbones seeming more prominent than he could remember. Naruto rolled his azure eyes and headed into his bedroom, "Come in." He beckoned. He walked over and pulled open his dresser, grabbing out a brown cotton shirt and some common boots. "So where is my love, Sakura?" Naruto smirked as he thought of defeating the raven.

A stab in Sasuke's chest pained him as he heard the blond's choice of words. He calmly sat onto the foot end of the bed and watched the other teen with sharp eyes. "She couldn't come." He flatly said, "Sakura was required, by her parents, to attend a celebration with her kingdom." Sasuke watched Naruto's face fall as if he was groaning. "Or, maybe, she didn't want to see your face." He playfully teased.

The blond quickly turned to the raven and stuck his tongue out. "Asshole."

Sasuke chuckled to himself while Naruto turned away and started to unfasten his embroidered shirt. The blood red fabric slid down skin and lightly fell into a pile on the floor. The raven observed the scene with fascination and a small amount of lust. Naruto's back was defined and there seemed to be no disturbance on his skin. His spine protruding outwards and lining straight down his back. Two small dimples lay at the bottom, centered above his hips. Cerulean eyes glanced at the teen sitting on his bed, meeting with onyx orbs filled with a mysterious emotion. Naruto erupted a deep shade of red, "Wh-what are you lookin' at teme?"

Sasuke cleared his throat before responding, "I was, uh, wondering if you had a shirt and pants I could borrow." He glanced downwards at the palms resting in his lap. "This would probably stand out…" The raven mentioned, pointing a thumb at his navy blue ensemble.

"Oh, uh… sure." Naruto replied as he rummaged through his dresser and pulled out a white tunic with dark brown pants. "Here." He stiffly said while walking closer to Sasuke and extended the particle to him.

The raven took the shirt from the other teen and quickly looked over Naruto's front. The blond's ribs poked slightly out, _"Has he lost weight?"_ The worried prince pondered as he remembered the feeling of Naruto's boney shoulder. Another pale hand reached out unconsciously and gently touched the protruding bones. A warm shiver washed over the blond like a giant tidal wave, his eyes growing three times larger than normal. "Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, his face and quiet voice revealing a high level of worry.

The sight of the pained and troubled Uchiha caused a pain in Naruto. He would have normally yelled at the raven or violently smacked his hand away. This time however, the blond felt defeated… He smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, idiot, I'm fine." Naruto teased, though his grin faltered for a millisecond. "C'mon! Get ready, before Neji and Hinata leave without us." The blond prince announced turning away to throw on the brown shirt, leaving the room for the Uchiha to get changed.

The elder teen rested his forehead in his palm, "Goddamn it." He groaned.

Naruto rested his back on the wooden door, his legs losing out and causing him to slide down to the cold floor. Light tan fingers combed through the ruffled flaxen locks, a soft groan escaped his throat. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He muttered, holding his other hand in front of his face as he thought of the feeling that consistently comes over him when he touches his friend.

* * *

Hinata stood by the brown carriage tying the calf length cloak around her slender neck. Her long ebony hair was tied into a bun high atop her head, eyebrow length bangs rested on her forehead. At the sight of the two princes, the maid straightened her posture and bowed to the young Uchiha. "Welcome Sir Sasuke." She quietly said while lowering her head.

"So I see Neji heard my call." Naruto said as he looked around for the coachman.

"Anyone could hear that whistle, I heard your mother complain about a 'damned bird that just won't leave'…" The pale eyed teen poked his head out from around the horses' rear ends.

"She thought I was an actual bird?!" Azure eyes widened and a long smile spread on his face. "Hell yeah!" Naruto pumped a fist in the air.

Hinata giggled and the Uchiha rolled his eyes, "Idiot." The royal raven teased as he lightly smacked the blond on the back of his head, who responded with a glare before trying to kick Sasuke in the knees.

"C'mon, lovebirds, the carriage is ready." Neji announced while stepping up onto the coach and seating himself at the front. Naruto pushed past Sasuke and started for the opened door, only to be stopped by the young maid. She settled a hand on his shoulder, "Are you sure you should come with?"

"I need to escape this prison for a while." He smiled, but the happiness portrayed in the grin didn't reach his eyes. "Oh! Neji, have you hidden Kyuu?" Naruto quickly changed the topic by asking up to the coachman, who responded with a curt nod.

"Your horse? Why?" The Uchiha prince asked, confusion evident on his face.

"Well my parents can't know that we left, so Neji's assistant will tell them we went riding around the yards." A hand on his hip and a roll of his blue eyes screamed 'Duh!'.

The two climbed into the hazelnut carriage while Hinata sighed from a feeling of defeat. The ride through the gates and into town was quiet, due to the maid going over her list and Naruto putting 150% into avoiding Sasuke's watchful eyes. The silence started to get to the extroverted blond and out of desperation for social contact he turned to the female raven to ask "So, what are we doing today?"

"Well," She started, "we need to buy some bread, pick up some leatherworking supplies for Neji, grab some ale for the King, and stop by the tailor's for her Highness' dress." She listed, counting the chores on her fingers.

Naruto whispered a "Yes!" to himself. "Alcohol!" He cheered.

Sasuke looked up to the ceiling with desperation, _"Why? Why must I love this idiot?"_ He pondered. "You don't need alcohol… You're already a dumbass."

* * *

The three teens exited the coach, "Since everything is close to each other, I'll stay here while you get the stuff." Neji informed the group. In response, Naruto gave the driver a thumbs up. "Make sure you don't break or lose my supplies." The long haired raven added while looking directly at the blond prince.

"Sir, we must go." Hinata announced, she lightly tapped Naruto's arm.

"Oh!" The coachman chimed in one last time, "Here's your cloak and an extra for Sir Sasuke." He called, "No must know who you are, remember?" Neji lifted both dark eyebrows above a deadpan expression.

Naruto's face lit up with awe, "You're amazing Neji! So smart." The prince praised as he took one from his friend's hands and tossed the other to Sasuke. "Here Duckbutt, hide that face of yours."

The Uchiha perked an eyebrow at yet another nickname, catching the bundle of fabric with ease. The maid dragged the blond prince inside the first building, a bakery, while Sasuke sauntered close behind. A plump man stood behind a counter wiping his powered hands on an old rag. "Young Hinata!" He bellowed, "Here again to pick up the castle's order?" She smiled gently and proceeded to go over the order of food requested. The two princes stayed out of the way and hung around a large window beside the front door.

"So…" Sasuke muttered, "How was your year?" The awkwardness greatly affected the raven's behavior, messing with the seam of his coat and his gaze focusing outside the window.

"Um…" Naruto paused to think, also turning his attention to the people passing by the window. He hesitated, _"How can he make me feel so comfortable?"_ echoed in his mind. "Kinda rough actually, there have been som-." The blond was interrupted by a sudden shiver. "Gah! Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Sasuke asked, looking at the worried blond beside him and cocked an eyebrow.

"It feels like someone is watching us…" A small look of panic reflected on Naruto's face. The raven turned once more to the view of the road, analyzing the environment. Many people were walking past, socializing, but a lone figure stood tall. Their identity hidden inside a large black, hooded, cloak which obscured their face from Sasuke's angle.

"Who the hell?" The Uchiha squinted his charcoal eyes to try to get a better look.

"Boys." Hinata called in a sing-song tone. "Finished, next up is the ale and Neji's stuff." She walked up to them with a bag of food in her arms and a giddy smile on her face. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a quick look, both agreeing to not mention anything to the maid. The raven prince glanced over his shoulder to look out the window one last time, the figure had disappeared.

* * *

Hearty laughter could be heard inside the brewer's store, though half of the building was dedicated to tools and crafts for blacksmithing or leatherworking. Sasuke held the door open for the other two, greeted by a booming call, "YOUTHFUL FRIENDS!" A boy who looked to be their age came bounding toward them.

"Hi Lee." The female raven greeted the energetic shop worker.

"Hinata! Where is your cousin Neji?" Thick eyebrows furrowed.

"He is watching the horses, where is Guy?" She questioned, glancing around the room for the equally energetic adult.

"Master Guy is in the back taking count of the new hammers we received!" Lee smiled widely, "I'll get him now!" He yelled before running off through a curtained doorway.

"Someone is lively." Sasuke stated blankly, making Hinata giggle and Naruto silently chuckle. The three waited in silence for no more than three minutes before a large man emerged from the back rooms.

"Customers! Welcome!" The tall man in green, amazingly similar in looks and personality to Lee, with a dirtied apron tied around his waist greeted them. "What is it you need my young customers?"

As Hinata recited the order for leather polish and beer to Guy, Naruto walked over to Sasuke. "Hey, so do you think someone is following us?"

"Not sure." The raven prince placed a hand on his chin, rubbing slightly as if to help his thinking.

"Sir! Oof." Hinata called for Naruto, her hands full from an overflowing bag. The blond rushed over to help but before he could ask about what he could do, the maid pointed with her head towards the medium sized barrel.

Naruto gladly lifted the keg, a look of 'Mmmm, beer' on his face. "Here," Sasuke chuckled, "let me get the door for you two." The raven offered while bowing dramatically.

"Thank you Sir Sasuke." Hinata bowed her head before exiting the store.

"Don't try to be suave teme." The blond prince muttered, the hidden tips of his ears tinted.

"Awwww." Guy and Lee sighed, "What it's like to be young!" The owner of the combined stores exclaimed, letting loose a hearty laugh.

Naruto set down the wooden barrel with a loud thud, he stretched his arms before whistling the same bird like sound. Sasuke offered to help Hinata with holding the bag full of bread and tools but became distracted with a small clang sound behind them. With a squint of his eyes, the Uchiha could point out a similarly tall figure in the shadows of a neighboring building. Before he could call out to either the mysterious figure or to Naruto, the brown carriage rolled up to them. "You called?" Neji asked sarcastically. "Got everything?"

"Not quite yet, we still need to get her Highness' dress." The raven maid answered, opening the coach door and placing the large bag onto one of the seats.

Naruto pointed to the coachman and then down to the keg. With a sigh, Neji jumped from his seat and helped the prince lift the barrel into the carriage. Sasuke turned back to where he saw the figure, only to find them gone again.

"Let's go" Hinata called, already walking ahead of the Uchiha with Naruto in tow.

The tailor's shop was painted a bright blue with an array of plants decorating the windows. The maid held open the door and motioned for the two princes to enter, a gesture which Naruto refused. "I'm not going in there… The dressmaker comes to the castle often, she'll recognize me!"

"Go on ahead Hinata, I'll stay with him out here." Sasuke decided.

With a small nod and a bow, the maid headed inside. "Why do I have to be stuck with an asshole like you?"

The Uchiha turned to his companion, "What the hell has been your problem today?" Sasuke asked with a tone mixed with anger and worry.

"What the hell is MY problem? What about YOU and your schemes?!" Naruto erupted.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Like hell you do, the arrangement with our parents. Don't you dare tell me you don't know about it." The blond prince pointed a finger in the young Uchiha's face.

"What about it?" Sasuke asked, still confused. "What does that stupid deal between our parents have to do with anything?"

"I figured out your plan…" Naruto started, continuing after receiving a bewildered look from the raven. "You're trying to distract me so you can swoop in to marry Sakura and the protection!"

"I have no desire to marry her! Why won't anyone realize or understand I only want to marry for love!" He huffed, finally letting loose what had been bothering him for some time. His shoulders drooped from the emotional fatigue, a genuine look of desperation evident on his face.

"A-are you saying you love Sakura?" Naruto asked, still not getting the point the raven was trying to convey. A deep feeling of sadness tugged at his heart, he felt a sort of distress when he thought of his two friends marrying each other.

Sasuke sighed, _"How much of an idiot are you?"_ he mentally asked the blond standing in front of him. He reached out towards Naruto, inches from cupping his jaw, "I **don't** love that clingy, pink girl. I love y-."

"Little help, please?" Hinata interrupted their conversation, a layered dress obstructing her view.

The raven prince clenched the extended palm as Naruto made his way to help his maid. Sasuke stopped the blond with a tight grip on his shoulder, "Don't worry yourself. Call for Neji."

Naruto pouted cutely and proceeded to whistle the bird song twice, glancing over to the other prince. Sasuke's skin seemed translucent in the sunlight and caused the blond to stare at their direction long enough to spot the approaching men.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called in a panicked tone, pointing a shaky finger to a spot behind the two ravens.

Both the Uchiha and the ebony maid turned to see two figures walking speedily up to them, the men obviously reaching for weapons stored underneath their cloaks. Before either of them could react, one of the hooded men lunged forward and swung a punch at Sasuke. The raven dodge seconds before impact and returned a punch, landing on the stranger's chest. Their hood fell to reveal long blond hair with long side bangs covering one of the man's eyes. "Good one!" The stranger praised the young Uchiha while rubbing his chest, unsheathing a sword from around his waist. The man aimed and swung the butt of his sword at Sasuke's head, "Don't wanna hurt you, just came to apprehend what is ours." A devious smile played on the blond stranger's lips, the raven turned to look at the other two teens. Hinata had dropped the dress onto the ground and Naruto started to run to Sasuke. The second figure, a tall male with flame red hair, rushed out from the shadows behind the blond prince and grabbed him by the hair and neck, starting to force the blond into unconsciousness.

"No." Sasuke exclaimed, "Naruto!" He yelled, Hinata leaned down to grab two small items from her boots and whistled a high pitched sound. She pounced at the man choking Naruto, her cloak flying back to show long and thin daggers in both hands. The redhead looked up in time to dodge the maid's strike and pulled the blond in front of him. The stranger's face remained stone cold as he backed up toward the road. A loud rumble and neighs could be heard approaching fast, Neji rushed the carriage at full speed toward the redhead.

"Dei, fall back." The redhead called to his partner before smacking the already weak Naruto and pushing the now limp teen onto the ground.

"Buuut Sasssoooorrriii." The blond man whined, "I wanna kill someone." He pouted as he looked once more at the roughed up Uchiha in front of him.

"Naruto!" Hinata yelled as she ran toward the knocked out prince. With a huff and a small salute from the long haired figure, the two men ran off into a section between two shops.

"Hey!" Sasuke started to chase after the men, but stopped once he thought of how injured his love could be. _"Naruto first." _Neji had jumped from his seat and was beside Hinata checking the unconscious blond. "How is he?"

"He will be fine, but we have to get him some first aid for these cuts." Neji informed the Uchiha, "Where will we take him?" He turned to his cousin.

"My room, we can care for him in peace." She replied with a serious look in her pale eyes.

Sasuke waved the two servants away and lifted Naruto into his arms, looking to Neji and nodding toward the coach door. The long haired raven hurried to the carriage and held open the door for Sasuke, who climbed into the coach. Hinata and Neji shared a worried, more like scared, look before grabbing the queen's dress and getting into place to ride back to the castle.

Hinata squeezed herself in between the supplies and the barrel of ale, with her petite body she had enough room to nap peacefully. Awoken by a bump in the road, she looked up and observed the two princes seated parallel to her. Sasuke sat hunched over the passed out Naruto, who was positioned with his head resting in the Uchiha's lap. The raven brushed loose golden strands away from his crush's face, eventually caressing the darkened scared etched into the blond's face. "I was so scared, Naruto." The raven whispered to the sleeping teen, believing he was the only rider in the stagecoach awake. Hinata could just barely hear him and made sure she sat completely still. "I wanted to tell you before…" Sasuke cupped a maimed cheek, "I love you…" His quiet voice wavered from an overflow of emotion. Hinata's pale orbs widened, a tender smile grew on her face.

"_Fantastic! He won't get in the way." _The maid thought to herself, the bright face of her princess passing through her mind, Hinata's face was practically beaming as she went ahead pretending she was asleep.


	9. Chapter 7 - Bread Crumbs

**Bread Crumbs**

**Disclaimer: No characters belong to me, boo :,(**

**A/N:**'Ello! :D I'm back and with a new chapter! Though this one focuses on what happened between Hinata and Sakura during chapter4 and 4 (cont.).

Thanks to **Nominatosay**, **Chibi-Baka-Kitsune**, **My-Fair-Lady45**, **Lolliepop476**, **PriestessHeiressDeity91**, and **Solitare1** for following!

Thank you to **Tenebreyami**, **LunarMay**, **DeciverOfTheNight**, **Lolliepop476**, **Devilish Rook**, **Randomidea**, and **PrincessHeiressDeity91** for the favorite!

Review replies at the end, enjoy!

* * *

Sakura hummed a soft tune as she brushed her mid-back length hair, she sat on the green canopy bed in a frilly white underdress. Her father had mentioned not too long ago about the famous marketplace in Naruto's kingdom, the town's businesses would gather in the center of the town and sell the products of their hobbies as well as their professions. The pinkette was excited to try the sweet bread that Naruto would brag about all the time. She was never in town when King Jiraiya thought their income would be plentiful, but more travelers had been in the town those days she was there. Her private teacher had been recently teaching her about the many trade goods between all the local nations, sparking her interest in attending the popular market. Her mouth stretched as she released a large yawn, she took a moment and tried to rub the drowsiness out of her eyes. Thoughts about the night before bewildered her, _"I should have gotten more sleep…"_ Sakura scolded herself. Flashes of her window drenched in shadows ran through her mind, dark figures running on the roof opposite to her window. The pinkette paused her brushing and thought about what she had saw and the fears that kept her awake during the night. A couple of knocks at the door brought Sakura out of her trance, "Yes?" She called.

"Sakura?" Her father's familiar voice asked, wanting to come in without interrupting anything.

"Father, shouldn't you be getting ready?" Sakura rose from the soft sheets she sat on and opened the door for her father, "We are going, right?" Her emerald eyes looked up into his dusty blue orbs.

"Of course!" He reassured his daughter while placing a gloved hand on her small shoulder. Sakura smiled, the excitement evident on her face. The king cupped her cheek, "You look beautiful today." He softly said. "Just like your mother when she was your age." The king gently took a portion of her rosy hair and brushed it over her free shoulder.

"But mother has blond hair." Sakura corrected her father.

"Your spirit and inner fire are just like your mother." He paused. "You both share that valuable trait, responsibility. My dear, you're going to make a wonderful queen in two years…"

The pinkette stared at her father speechless, Kizashi sniffled as she struggled to find words. "MY BABY GIRL!" He dramatically cried out while forcefully embracing his sixteen daughter. Green eyes looked up to the ceiling as Sakura rolled her eyes. _"Really? Again?"_ She dully asked herself.

The pinkette lightly and uninterestedly patted her father while muttering a "There, there

"Miss?" A meek voice called as the chamber door was open slightly and a pale hand wrapped around the edge. "May I come in?"

Kizashi quickly readjusted himself and cleared his throat before replying. "Hinata, you may enter."

"Your highness, I didn't realize you were here as well." The maid fully opened the door and bowed to the visiting king. "I a-apologize for i-intruding!" She stumbled over her words.

"There is no need to apologize, rise child." The pink king kindly said. "I was just leaving to prepare for the ride into the market. Ladies," He turned to his daughter as well. "If you'll excuse me." Kizashi bowed his head to his only child and exited the room.

"Miss, is there anything can do for you?" Hinata asked the princess, curtsying, after the bedroom door closed again.

"Could you help with my hair?" Sakura politely asked.

"As you wish." The ebony maid smiled and motioned to the vanity.

Sakura sat in the wooden chair and faced the mirrored vanity, glancing through the mirror at the maid standing behind her. Hinata daintily picked up half of the princess' luscious hair and brought the decorated brush to it. The raveness relished in the touch of the pink locks, each touch and pull done as gingerly as possible. "Hinata?" The pinkette asked.

"Yes?"

"I've been watching your actions for a while" She started, lightly touching her index finger to her cheek.

Hinata blushed slightly, "Oh?"

"And, I was wondering if you had feeling for Naruto. You are his personal maid after all." A mischievous smile graced Sakura's lips.

A small giggle came from the maid, surprising the princess. "I feel nothing like that for Sir Naruto. I have known him since I came to the castle to live with my uncle and cousin, which would be…" She paused what she was doing to calculate. "Eleven or twelve years now. Having romantic feelings for him would be like having romantic feelings for a brother." She sneered in slight disgust.

"I see…" Sakura tapped her finger on her chin as she thought. "Well then, is there someone you **do** have romantic feelings for?" The maid blushed a bright red, a vibrant color the pinkette noticed through the mirror's reflection. She smiled brightly, "So there is!"

"N-no, o-of course not!" The ebony girl poorly defended herself.

"Who is it? If it's not Naruto… Sasuke?" Sakura asked as if she hit a break through.

"No! I will not say!" Hinata childishly huffed, her cheeks plump as she scowled. "Your hair is finished Miss, shall we leave?" The maid asked, the blush slowly fading from her features.

"Fine…" Sakura frowned. "First, I need to put on my dress. Will you help me?" She turned to Hinata.

"I-I'll go get Maria!" The raveness desperately exclaimed, panic swirling her pale eyes as the deep color rose back to her cheeks.

* * *

Kizashi strode beside his daughter, the ebony maid lead in front. Hinata turned to the two royal guests and verbally mapped out the sellers. "We have the Simmons family selling their handcrafted tools. There is Mr. and Mrs. Tirank with their floral arrangements." She pointed to the elderly couple sitting behind a large wheelbarrow filled with vibrant flowers.

"Flowers?" Kizashi's ears perked as his gaze turned to the lovely couple. He waved discreetly as he told the two girls, "I'm going to pick out a beautiful set for your mother. Sakura, stay close to Hinata and don't leave the square." The pinket forcefully told his sixteen year old daughter before almost skipping to the bouquets.

"Where would you like to visit, Miss?" Hinata turned her attention to the princess.

"Where is the baker?" Sakura energetically asked. "I have to try the sweet bread that Naruto talks about!" She swung her head around looking for the stand.

"That would be the Madams, they aren't actually bakers but like to sell Madam Kait's family bread." The raveness explained. "Now, their stand should be around here… They always seem to be near the winery's product…" She squinted her eyes as she scanned the array of venders, her index finger lightly tapping on her pointed chin.

"Let's go find it then!" Sakura exclaimed as she grabbed the maid's hand and started running in a random direction.

"Oh!" Hinata gasped with surprise, grabbing her white maid's cap so it wouldn't fly off. "T-There is the local baker." She pointed and stuttered as she nearly tripped on a loose cobblestone. "That is the dairy provider for the village over." A plump man stood behind piles of cheese and containers of milk, laughing joyously with a young family. "Oh, oh!" Hinata yelled, pulling the rushing princess to a stop. The abrupt halt caused the pinkette to topple over, the maid throwing out her arms to catch her. The two girls landed on the stone ground, Sakura on her hands and knees with Hinata's legs underneath her. The princess stared down at the pale legs under her, the maid's slender legs called for a caress. "M-Miss?" The raveness meekly asked.

"I-I apologize!" Sakura pushed herself up into a kneeling position.

The maid stood, brushed off her dirtied gown, and kneeled to offered a hand to the fallen maiden. Emerald orbs looked up into ashen, a small thought emerging in the princess' mind. _"She looks so… chivalrous." _Taking her hand, Sakura remembered what caused her to trip. "Why did you stop suddenly stop me?"

The two girls rose from the ground, Hinata turned to look behind her. "The Madams' stand is right there."

Two women stood behind a light brown wooden table covered in bread rolls. The taller woman grinned widely, her straight brown hair flowing over her shoulders. "Madam Meg!" Hinata waved to the woman with excitement.

"Hinata, want some bread?" Meg held up an armful of rolls, "You know they are the best!"

The maid giggled before correcting the vendor. "I would just like to buy two, please."

"Did you make these?" Sakura asked, pointing to the golden-brown food.

"Not a single one!" The brunette happily chuckled. "All baked by my lovely Kait." She turned a gentle face to the fuller woman beside her.

Kait smiled shyly. "Family's specialty." She meekly added while twirling the ends of her black wavy hair, which was lifted into a high ponytail and rested below her collarbone. "Here are your two rolls, that'll be two crowns." Kait passed the pieces of bread to Hinata, Sakura noticed instead the gold band around the older woman's ring finger.

"You're married?" The princess tilted her head at a slight angle, some loose strands of hair swaying down.

"Happily, for 8 years now." Meg smiled widely as she took interlaced her fingers with Kait's, making the smaller woman blush.

Sakura's eyes widened as she watched the two share loving gazes, "I didn't realize..." She whispered to Hinata.

The maid nodded her head in understanding and motioned for Sakura to lead the way to a seat. "Where would you like to eat Miss?"

The two teenage girls sat together on a roughly carved stone bench, the pinkette was restraining from bouncing as Hinata handed one of the sweet rolls to her. Sakura closed her eyes and savored the first bite of the candied bread, humming a soft tune of happiness. The raven maid giggled as she watched the princess enjoy the food before taking a bite herself. "So…" Sakura started. "Is he a noble?"

Hinata furrowed her brow in confusion. "Is who a noble?"

"The person you like!" The pinkette exclaimed, crumbs falling from the bread as she threw her arms in the air. "So, is he?"

"N-No!" Hinata stuttered.

"Then who are they? Royalty?"

The maid hesitated before denying again. Sakura squinted her green eyes, "So they are royal… You already said no to Naruto… Have you met other royal people without me?" She feigned attitude.

"Sakura…" Hinata quietly said, "Are you really in love with Sir Sasuke? I-I mean, you don't have to tell me… but what do you like about him?" She lowered the bread roll into her lap.

The pinkette took a moment to think about the answer. _"Sure, he's sexy… But… What do I actually like about him?"_

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Hinata said in response to Sakura's silence, her face showing her disappointment.

"I guess it would be…" The princess looked up to the cloudless sky and tapped a finger on the remaining half of her sweet roll. "His gorgeously dark hair and how it contrasts against his pale skin. His quiet nature is adorable and I feel that type of personality would balance out my loudness." She smiled widely.

"I-I see." Hinata blushed madly.

"Wha-?" Sakura started to ask what was wrong with her friend before realizing the similarities. She watched Hinata's dark bangs ruffle from the wind and settle back on her pale forehead. Memories of all the maid's shy and quiet moments played through the princess' mind, all categorized as 'cute' in her mind.

While Sakura stared at Hinata, the maid gasped when she looked back into the pinkette's face. "Miss, you have some crumbs on your face."

"Where ar-" Sakura was interrupted by a pale thumb lightly touching her lower lip. Hinata leaned forward and gently brushed off the bread crumbs from the princess' mouth. The pinkette's mind swirled, an impulse to kiss the soft finger arose. Sakura tenderly touched her palm to the maid's wrist and stared into the ashen eyes focused on her.

"I found the most beautiful tulip for your equally beautiful mother!" Kizashi bellowed as he approached the two teens. He paused for a moment as he noticed they were engrossed in the gazes of each other. "Ladies?"

"Yes?!" Sakura hastily lowered her hand and turned to her father. Hinata lowered her head and stared into her lap, though Kizashi could still see her bright red ears.

"Have you finished exploring the market?" The king smiled as he noticed the mostly eaten bread rolls. "Jiraiya and Tsunade are holding an elegant dinner for our and the Uchiha's departure."

"I should be back to help prepare!" Hinata announced, unexpectedly standing from the bench with a worried look.

"Then why don't we head back to the carriage now?" Kizashi asked as he turned in the direction of the parked coach.

The two teenagers walked beside each other, lagging a god distance behind Sakura's father. "Sakura, you are sixteen right?" Hinata broke the silence between the two.

"Yes, I will be turning seventeen in two seasons." Sakura happily announced.

"You are close to eighteen, have you decided whom you are choosing?" The maid asked, still not looking up from the moving ground.

"Choose? What are you talking about Hinata?" The pinkette glanced at the raveness from the corner of her jade eyes.

"You don't know about the arrangement?" Hinata questioned, explaining further after receiving a head shake. "I was bringing Sir Naruto his late night snack when I overheard her highness Tsunade and his highness Jiraiya taking in the hall about a deal made between the three families. Something about an allegiance with your kingdom based on whether you choose to marry Sasuke or Naruto when you turn eighteen. Whomever you marry will have protection and help given by your father."

"What?" Sakura stopped in her tracks, he jaw dropped.

"Sakura? What are you doing?" Kizashi turned to see his daughter farther away for his comfort.

"N-nothing father." The pinkette muttered as she resumed walking to the carriage.

* * *

"We have time to spare, why not wander about the garden to pass the time? I have a flower to give." The pink king suggested before walking away to find his wife.

Sakura picked at the petals of a lone daisy and settled onto the group on her knees.

"Miss?" Hinata called, holing up a tray of snacks.

"Hinata…" Sakura replied. "What should I do?"

"About what? The arrangement?" The maid set the tray onto the grass and seated herself beside the worrying teen.

"I have to choose between my closest friends… What if I lose one because of idiotic adult matters?" Sniffles interrupted her words, tears pooling in the princess' eyes. "I-I-I have known N-Naruto and Sasuke since we were children! If I were to lose one of them, I-I don't know what I'd do…" She started to break down and sob. Hiccups causing her to stutter and stumble with her words.

Hinata pulled the pinkette into an embrace, gently hushing her sobs by softly combing her slender fingers through the rose colored hair. Sakura buried her face into the raveness' neck and took solace in her scent. Once the maid determined the princess was calm enough, she pulled away and lightly wiped remaining tears from Sakura's flushed cheeks. "Here," Hinata quietly said, handing the pinkette a small puff ball dandelion. "You are like this flower at the moment."

"How so?" Sakura inquired, completely confused.

"The wind may be directing you and forcing you where to go, but you have the sole choice where you release the seed." The maid demonstrated by blowing a gust of air at the flower causing its fluffy white seeds to scatter in the air, going in various directions. A tender smile graced Hinata's lips as she finished her analogy.

Sakura's emotions took hold of the princess and the bubbling impulses erupted. The pinkette closed the distance between their lips, forcefully placing one hand on Hinata's hip and the other cupping the back of her neck. The kiss was light but warm, Sakura's head swirled with the overwhelming feelings going through her body. Hinata sat wide eyed and startled, eventually relaxing into the kiss. The maid gently caressed the princess' cheek, running a thumb over the drying tear trails. When an unexpected wetness pooled between Hinata's index finger and thumb, pale eyes opened to see newly falling tears running from Sakura's closed eyes. Slowly, the raveness broke the kiss and brought the pinkette back into a comforting hug. The princess lightly cried in Hinata's arms until all her energy left her body. The maid lightly placed Sakura's head on her lap, brushing pink strands of hair out of her slumbering face. Pasty eyes watched the sleeping princess' eyes twitch and move under dreaming eyelids, a loving smile adorned the maid's face as she used the back of her hand to caress Sakura's jawline. _"I won't leave you…" _

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Review Replies:

**KH Freak 813: **Thanks for understanding! :D Yep, the couples are coming together and I can't wait to write more intimate scenes. :)

**EnRei: **Thanks for understanding too! :D Sir Klaus von Jeaggermeister is such an awesome name! I was originally going to name Odin "Fury" after Nick Fury from Marvel because he is missing his left eye, but he seemed to cuddly to be a commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. haha xD

"**uhhh eww":** Making Sasuke gay makes everything better, it's what starts all the fun! :P Don't bother clicking on a story listed as SasuNaru if you want a heterosexual story… c:


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